Music Within
by HeartsBroken
Summary: Erik and Christine come together one night and create a musical prodigy, Christine's fiance puts the baby up for adoption without Christine's consent. Will Lyla Reynolds ever find the two people that gave her the music? Phantom/August Rush story.
1. Strangers

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. Just borrowing some attributes of the stories and combining them. **

**Summary: One fall night Erik and Christine, complete strangers, meet on the bridge in Central Park. They spend the night together and hope to be together again. But Christine's fiancé, Raoul, takes her away and she never gets to say goodbye to Erik. After a few months she realizes she is pregnant and decides to keep it. After an accident she believes the baby is dead, but Raoul secretly put the baby up for adoption. Twelve years later, Lyla Reynolds goes out to search for her parents. She finds herself in the middle of the Big Apple and doesn't know anything about her surroundings. There are obstacles and complications that arise. Will she ever meet the two people that gave her the music?**

**A/N: Here is the first chapter of Music Within and I hope it keeps you wanting to read more. If you have seen August Rush before you will know that Raoul is going to be playing many characters. He is Christine's fiancé and he is the antagonist throughout the whole story. I am also going to take a try at writing in third person. Let me know what you think. Well here it is and I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**

**Music Within**

Chapter 1: Strangers

Christine Darden leaned against the moldy, drug infected sink of the girl's bathroom in one of the common dance clubs in New York City. She looked into the mirror that hung above the sink and dreaded her decisions.

She always wanted to sing, but never because she wanted the money or the fame. She wanted it because she loved to stand on a stage and sing her heart out. She wanted to be appreciated for her amazing voice not just happy that there is something to dance to.

Raoul Chaney, her fiancé, brought her to this point. He wanted her to follow in her dreams, but this was never part of that. He told her that all big singers started off this way and would be found by a big managing company.

Little did she know that Raoul just wanted her to get famous and rich so that he could get all his debt paid and have extra money to play with. And while she is busy working her ass off he can have fun with the skankiest woman in the bar.

Christine stood in the bathroom for five minutes before hearing a loud, obnoxious knock from the door.

"I'll be right out." She yelled over the blaring stereo music that took place before she started up her band. She wiped her eyes free of shedding tears and blew her nose before going to open the door.

Raoul stood there looking annoyed. His usually perfect blonde hair now stood up in places as if he had just tried pulling his hair out. His blue eyes looked angry and his thin lips were frowning in disappointment.

"What are you doing? You should have been on the stage five minutes ago." He said as he grabbed her arm and hauled her towards the band. "There are special music managers in the crowd that will want to book you. They're not going to like that you are late for your own performance."

They reached the steps that led to the stage where her band stood ready. She climbed the stairs and with each step she hated what Raoul made her more and more.

She got to the top of the stairs to see a guy with black hair greased up messily holding an electric guitar at the ready. Another guy sat near the back behind a drum set. He had long stringy hair that reached his shoulders and he had a thin beard. Christine's best friend stood closest to her holding another electric guitar at the ready and she had long blond hair that was pulled back in a high ponytail.

"Ready guys?" Christine asked Meg, Mark and Rory before reaching the microphone stand that stood in the center front of the stage. They all nodded and with a large smile that she didn't feel she started to rile up the audience.

"How is everyone tonight? Good." She said with a cheerful voice that received a lot of woops and cheers. "Here is one of my favorite songs, hope you enjoy." She said before turning around to nod to the members of her band.

The guitarists started plucking the strings and the drummer started tapping the many different drums before him and Christine stood ready to sing her heart out, even though she wasn't going to enjoy one minute of it.

**xXx**

Erik Daines looked into the clean, large mirror before him and smiled genuinely. He loved the man he became, a famous violinist that plays many other instruments and composes as well.

His mother adopted him when he was ten and immediately noticed the gift he had. She gave him the best education and when high school was over she helped him get into Juilliard, the school he admired. Juilliard had taught him more than he could learn in books, they taught him he could be anything he wanted to be.

Ever since he graduated Juilliard he has become the number one instrumentalist in the world. He was invited to every Juilliard concert to play his music and everyone knew who he was. Among his many talents he did have a trademark that people knew him from.

The mask. The clear white mask that covered the right side of his face was intriguing, but no one dared to ask what lay beneath. The only people that knew were Annabelle, Erik's mother, and Erik himself. He had been born with the deformity that covered that side of his face, but ever since Annabelle brought him home from the orphanage he didn't mind it as much.

She made him believe that nothing was wrong with his face and that she loved him no matter what he looks like. He still wanted something to cover it so she agreed to allow him to make a mask.

No matter the faces or the whispers that accompanied the sight of him, he never cared and believed in what his mother told him.

"Darling, you are on in two minutes." Annabelle said as she walked into the large dressing room he occupied. She wore a simple black dress that went down to her ankles and she had her light brown hair pulled back in an elegant bun. Over the years her smooth young looking skin turned to tired, wrinkly skin that she tried to cover up with makeup. "Oh, you look very handsome." She said as she looked him up and down.

He wore a clean, new black suit with a white shirt and bowtie underneath that covered his broad body. The white mask fit perfectly on his clean shaven face and his black hair was combed back neatly.

"Thank you, Mother." He said with a smile and brightness to his ice blue eyes.

"You're welcome. Now you better hurry, don't want to be late for your performance." She said as she ushered him out of the room and towards the concert stage.

When they reached it the cellist was standing to make his bow and appreciate the applause. The conductor stood to announce the next performer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I now introduce one of Juilliard's own, Erik Daines." Everyone started clapping harder while the conductor sat down again.

Erik made his way onto the stage with his violin in hand and stood in front of the orchestra to play his solo performance. Once everyone was done clapping and had taken their seats again he set the violin under his chin and took the violin bow and slowly started to graze the strings to begin his aria.

**xXx **

Christine was singing a song her band had come up with together. It was a pop song that people would like to listen to not something meaningful. She would sit in her loft and write for hours until she got something that meant something to her. Meg, Mark and Rory enjoyed it, but Raoul would shoot it down saying no one would want to listen to it.

She looked out in the crowd and saw Raoul standing in the back by the bar drinking a beer. He was watching her possessively and it made her cringe. When the song they started ended, she turned to her friends to instruct them on what to do.

She went back to the microphone and without an explanation the music started and she began to sing the song she created weeks ago. A song that explained her feelings and the life she was living. The life Raoul had put her in.

"**I'm tired of being what you want me to be**

**Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface**

**Don't know what you're expecting of me**

**Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes**

**Every step that I take is another mistake to you"**

She stood singing her heart out and watching as all the people in the crowd looked on, feeling the emotions she poured out in her singing. She went into the chorus with a rocky, powerful voice.

"**I've become so numb, I can't feel you there**

**Become so tired, so much more aware**

**I'm becoming this, all I want to do**

**Is be more like me and be less like you."**

She felt a rush of triumph. At that moment she heard something that was beautiful, something she admired. On the queue to sing the next verse she sang softly so she could still hear the beauty of music coming from somewhere else.

"**Can't you see that you're smothering me?**

**Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?**

**'Cause everything that you thought I would be**

**Has fallen apart right in front of you.**

**Every step that I take is another mistake to you.**

**And every second I waste is more than I can take."**

She suddenly realized what instrument was playing. It wasn't a guitar or a drum, nothing from her band. It was a violin.

**xXx**

Erik stood on the magnificent stage playing his violin for the hundreds of people in attendance. He looked out to see many people smiling and others whispering to each other of how beautiful it was.

In the middle of the aria he suddenly heard something, something that would never fit in this atmosphere. It was electric guitars and drums playing a rock/pop sound. It was strange and new.

When he heard a woman's voice he almost collapsed from the intense emotions penetrating his heart. The woman felt the words she was singing and her voice soared uncontrollably. It was a beautiful voice, a voice that he would probably never get rid of.

With the different tune going through his mind his hand holding the violin bow began to move faster and in a different tempo. Without him realizing it he began playing something entirely different from what he started. He played the same tune of the song that popped into his head.

He followed the noise in his head, the tune, the strain, the poise. Suddenly his fingers were racing and flying over the neck of his violin and the bow was moving vigorously over the strings.

When the song in his head ended so did his violin. He broke away and looked to the ceiling as if the noise came from heaven.

He was brought back to reality when everyone started clapping and cheering happily. He looked to the people and saw everyone was starting to stand and give him a miraculous ovation.

He brought the violin to his side and bowed gracefully before getting off the stage and walking back to his dressing room.

He had no idea what came over him, but it was something beautiful. When he reached his room, he saw his mother standing there.

"You were wonderful, darling." She said as she came forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." He said out of breath as he had just ran to the room and hoping to get a moment of privacy found his mother waiting instead.

"Well, I have to go. I have that meeting at seven tomorrow morning. If I don't get some sleep now, I never will." She said as she grabbed her purse off the leather couch and gave him another kiss on the cheek. "Have a good night, son."

"Night, Mother." He said as he watched her leave.

After changing back into his jeans and black t-shirt, he put his leather jacket on and left the concert hall. He had to clear his head and the one place he could do that was the bridge in Central Park.

**xXx**

When the night was over, Christine and her band, along with Raoul, of course, went to Rory's apartment for a party.

During their performance Raoul had had conversations with three different agencies that wanted to book them. That was cause for celebration.

Christine didn't want to celebrate though, she wanted something different. She wanted to figure out why she heard a violin in the middle of her song. She sat on Rory's couch drinking red wine while everyone around her danced to the loud music and drank alcohol in red plastic cups.

She decided to leave and clear her head. The loud music and crowded room was making her dizzy and she just wanted to escape. When she left the building she started walking through traffic infested streets and crowded tourist attractions. When she reached Central Park, everything started to slow down and she could breathe again.

As she walked she thought about her life. The only reason she was with Raoul was because their families had known each other for years and they were set up on a date two years ago. Raoul was romantic and sweet when she first started going out with him, but when his parents died he changed. In the will he found out that his parents were in a lot of debt and they didn't have any money left for him.

He started to break down and become controlling. He must have believed she was the only good thing for him so he tried to get her in a good place so she could support him.

She always knew that he was using this whole music career thing to make money. Even though it was her hard work that gave them the money he was going to use it to pay off his parent's debt and then alcohol for his frying brain.

She was thinking about him through her whole walk and how sad he had become. She wanted to break up with him, but something was keeping her from doing so.

Ducks quaking and the splashing of water took her from her mind and she looked up to see the cobblestone bridge that sat over the pond in the park. It was always so beautiful to stand on the bridge and look down at the nature of the water and moss that stuck to the bottom of the bridge.

She started heading towards the top when she saw a man had already gotten there first. She started to turn around and walk away so she could give the man the privacy he wanted, but then the man spoke.

"You don't have to leave. It is a public bridge." The man's voice was lulling and musical. His voice was the first thing that drew her to him.

She kept walking forward until she stood next to him and looked out at the scenery. The full moon lit up the sky and the whole park so she could see everything around them. The pond beneath them glistened and the trees around them were already bare of all their leaves. The different colored leaves lay on the ground beneath covering all the grass and rocks.

When the man turned his face to look at her she looked at him too and saw the white mask on the right side of his face.

"I'm Erik." He said as he brought his hand out to shake.

"Christine." She said back as she shook his hand politely. She knew who he was; she recognized the masked face from the New York Times newspaper. She read that he was an amazing violinist and that he was performing a new composition of his own at one of Juilliard's concert halls.

Erik looked at the girl before him, her brown curly hair, deep brown eyes, and pale complexion. She wore a summery silk halter top and low ride jeans, showing three inches of skin between the articles of clothing. She wore flimsy flip flops and her toe nails were painted a light pink. What he noticed first was that her eyes widened at the sight of his mask. He was used to that reaction, but he also believed that her reaction was for a different reason.

"What's on your mind?" He said inquisitively.

She looked into his eyes surprised. He had noticed her leering astonished at meeting an amazing instrumentalist. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"I'm used to it. The mask can be a shock to most people." He said as he leaned against the side of the bridge and looked out at the sky and moon that shined.

"Oh, no, it's not your mask I was staring at. I recognized you from the article about the Juilliard String Quartet." she said explaining herself.

"Oh." He said with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I saw that face you made and I automatically thought that you were looking at my mask in curiosity." He turned back to face her and continued. "I actually just came from that concert."

"Really. I wish I could have attended, I was singing at this dingy bar downtown." She said disappointed.

"You sing?" he asked interested.

"Yes, I try to write songs also." She said. Her face had fell at the thought of Raoul and the night she had just spent singing songs she didn't like and that didn't mean anything to her, except that one song.

Erik hadn't noticed that face because he was leaning down to pick up his violin case he had left on the ground by his side. He lifted it to place on the edge of the bridge and opened the case to reveal his beautifully elegant violin.

"That's beautiful." She said dreamily. She almost reached out to touch it, but collected herself.

He took the piano out and put it at the ready and said, "Sing" before playing the violin in a slow, lulling tune.

She was reluctant to sing for this guy she had just met, but for the first time in a long time she felt her audience wanted to hear her, wanted to enjoy the quality of her voice. She fingered through the songs she had registered in her brain and she found one she had written years ago that was very special to her.

"**Think of me, think of me fondly,**

**when we've said goodbye.**

**Remember me once in a while **

**please promise me you'll try.**

**When you find that, once again, you long**

**to take your heart back and be free **

**if you ever find a moment,**

**spare a thought for me."**

Erik stopped playing suddenly, mesmerized by her voice and the feelings coming forth.

Christine stopped singing when he stopped playing because she recognized the tune of the violin.

They stared at each other, confused and surprised. Erik recognized the voice that he heard during his performance and Christine remembered the violin from her performance.

They felt the connection, the jolt of electricity running through each other. They walked closer until there was no space between either of them and Erik brought his lips down to hers in a sweet kiss. When their lips touched they felt a jolt of electricity that immediately made them separate.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Erik said as he started to back away.

Before he could get out of reach Christine grabbed his shirt and pulled him back to her lips. She felt as if their lips fit perfectly, like a soul mates kiss. Raoul's kisses had never been like this, they were rough and demanding. Erik's kisses were pleading and slow, waiting for her to make the next move.

This felt right…this felt perfect…. This felt…..

**xXx WARNING! If you don't like the M rating content don't read on.**

The door slammed open and as if they were a tornado they slammed the door shut and began making their way to her bedroom leaving a mess behind them. Their lips still locked together, they stumbled over side tables and almost tripped over the rug, the cat meowed after almost getting trampled and when they reached the bedroom door Christine only wore her bra and panties and Erik was only wearing his pants. In their frenzy to getting to the bedroom they had time to remove some clothes.

She turned so she could open the door and once it was open she pulled him into the room and slammed the door. She was thankful that Raoul decided to keep his apartment until the wedding, so now he won't come to her apartment in the middle of the night.

Erik had her by the hips and tossed her lightly on the bed before lying on top of her. She unbuttoned his pants and let them slide down his muscular legs. She pulled down his briefs also and marveled in the magnificence of his package.

Raoul was small and it took a long time to become satisfied with him. She would sometimes even fake an orgasm just to get him to have one and get off of her.

With this she wouldn't have to worry about pleasing herself. He could probably get her to finish in less than a minute without foreplay.

His hands started caressing her smooth skin and when he reached the lace that covered her breasts he quickly unhooked the clasp that sat in between her mounds and let it fall freely. Next were the panties. He took his time rolling them down her long legs and throwing them aside before admiring the beauty of her figure.

She had perfect, perky breasts and a slim waist. Her legs were long and smooth and at the top there was a nice bush of brown curls covering her maidenhood. He couldn't help himself and he brought his mouth to her breasts to taste. She put her hands on the back of his head to hold him close and she moaned noisily at the sensation.

"You are gorgeous." He said as he finally looked up into her eyes after gazing at every inch of her creamy skin and tasting it.

She pulled his head down to meet her lips to his. She brought her hands to his back and caressed the muscles and soft skin. She started to kiss his shoulder and wrap her legs around his hips so they were positioned correctly.

With one quick thrust they were one. She moaned into his shoulder and smiled at the feeling of him inside her. She had never felt this way before. Her eyes were wide open with the shock of his size and the feeling of her muscles surrounding him tightly.

She felt amazing. She was so tight and her muscles were already starting to contract around him. The feeling of her lips on his shoulder was like heaven. Hearing her satisfied moan was even better. Everything felt so right.

He started to thrust back and forth and he made the sensations long and fast. She was gasping loudly into his ear and he was moaning from the feeling of her tightness around him until she cried out from her orgasm and clenched him tighter.

With that sensation he came with a shot of his seed inside her and collapsed on top of her sweaty body.

Both of them blissfully happy, lay their holding each other, neither of them realizing what they had just created.

**xXx**

**Song Christine sings in the bar is Numb by Lincoln Park. **

**Song Christine sings on the bridge is Think of Me by Andrew Lloyd Webber.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Let me know if I should go back to first person writing. I feel more comfortable writing first person, I think I might be more descriptive that way. I don't know. Let me know in your comments if I should go back to 1****st**** person.**


	2. Unmasked

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I only own some of the unrecognizable characters and plot scenes.**

**A/N: I am going to give you guys the first scene of Lyla Reynolds, Erik and Christine's daughter. If you have seen August Rush, you know the mothers name is Lyla. I didn't steal the name from the movie; I actually wanted to use the name because my cousin just had a baby and named her Lyla. She is the cutest baby I have ever seen, so I wanted to add her into one of my stories. **

**Music Within**

Chapter 2: Unmasked

_Present Day_

A large section of Glendale, New York was made of meadows, parks, and long, winding roads. Miles outside of the busy segment of the city there was a residential home for orphaned children. The home was large with many windows and three floors, girls dominated the second floor and boys had the third floor.

The home had a playground, garden, farm and field; everything was surrounded by a white picket fence. When the sun was high in the sky, children would be playing on the swings, slide and jungle gym, while adults watched them. Cooks and other workers would be in the gardens picking the fresh vegetables or planting seeds. Some kids would even be playing with the chickens and horses that ate in the barn.

Of all the kids that lived in that home, hoping to be taken by a loving couple and taken care of, there was one little girl that sat in the middle of the grassy field. She held a journal in one hand and was writing her thoughts and dreams in the new pages.

The girl had brown curly hair and bright blue eyes with freckles lightly covering her nose and cheeks. For a twelve year old she was smart and reserved. She didn't like to play with the other kids; she wanted to be alone with her thoughts and the music running through her veins. With the silence she could hear the music more clearly and could think about what it meant.

Her parents gave her the music. It was their gift to her and she was going to use that to find her parents. She always dreamed of the day she would leave this place and find her parents. She never had the perfect time to do it, to leave.

"Lyla, time to come inside." One of the female housing counselors shouted from her place by the front door of the house.

The girl turned to see the woman waving her over and she closed her journal before standing and running to the woman. When she reached her the counselor wrapped her arm around Lyla's shoulders and walked her into the house.

As they walked through the hallways on the first floor, Lyla was guided through a door she had never been through. When they entered the first thing she saw was a desk covered in papers and files with a man sitting behind it flipping through the mess.

The man was large with a pale complexion and he had brown short hair and a bushy beard and mustache. He wore a blue shirt and tie and he had a small pair of glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He looked up when she entered and motioned silently for her to sit in the chair in front of the desk.

The counselor was gone and so she slowly walked forward and sat in the cushioned chair. After a moment of watching the man rifle through the paperwork Lyla started to get nervous. _'Who was this man?'_ The man finally spoke and answered the question that had just run through her mind.

"My name is William Ross, I am here from child services." He looked back at her and in an asking tone, "Lyla Reynolds?"

"Yes, sir." She said shyly.

"It says here, you have never been placed with a family. You have lived here your whole life?" he asked as he looked down at her facts and back up to her face.

She silently nodded in agreement. "I don't want to be taken away." She said softly.

He understood what she meant and he was used to children feeling that way. "I understand that you are afraid to leave your first home. I know that you are worried your parents won't be able to find you if you get moved around."

The intense thoughts were overwhelming and tears started to fall down Lyla's cheeks slowly.

"I promise that will never happen to you. I am here to make sure it doesn't. You have nothing to be afraid of." He finished, looking her in the eyes, willing her to believe him.

"Thank you." She said as she wiped the tears from her face and smiled.

"I am going to give you my card." He said as he grabbed his professional card and handed it over to her. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you call, alright?"

She looked down at the card that said William Ross and had his office number printed underneath. She nodded thankfully and stood to walk to the door.

William watched the girl walk away and heard as the girl hummed a melody; it wasn't from a popular song or an imitation of wind chimes or bells, but something unfamiliar, original. He brushed it off as something unusual and watched as another child walked into the room.

Lyla was thankful for the support Mr. Ross was giving her and she believed everything would be alright. She wanted her parents to find her, but they were taking too long. If her parents didn't come find her, she would go out and find them.

**xXx **

_Thirteen Years Earlier_

Christine had never felt more comfortable. Before her eyes opened to the blaring sun, she remembered what happened the night before. She was feeling upset about her life and how much she wanted to end her relationship with Raoul when she met… Erik.

She opened her eyes and smiled happily at the memory of how Erik had made her feel last night. She looked at the space beside her and saw Erik sound asleep. The thin white sheets covered his legs and everything under his waist. Everything above was bare to her eyes, including the right side of his face.

There was a scar that went from the outer edge of his eye and trailed down to the tip of his lip. The scar made his upper lip flip up and look unusual. At the top of the scar his eye was missing eyelashes and the distortion made his eye droop uncomfortably. His whole cheek looked divided in two from the red mark and it looked deep as if it needed stitches. It was grotesque and she could understand why he would want to cover it with his mask. It was disgusting, but it didn't matter to her.

She lifted her hand to caress the gruesome scar and wondered how he received it. When her fingertips touched that side of his face his eyes immediately shot open and his hand went up to hers to pull it away harmfully.

"What…? How…?" Erik was very confused. He had forgotten what happened for a moment and then remembered how he met Christine on the bridge and immediately felt a connection with her.

"I'm sorry. You're mask must have fallen off when you were asleep." She said scared that he might get angry with her. She didn't want him to think that she removed it without his permission.

"Christine…" he said still having trouble talking.

"I will make some coffee." She said as she got up and grabbed her silk robe from the chair next to her bed.

She put it on and walked out of the bedroom to go to the kitchen and start up the coffee maker. She needed to get away so she could figure out her feelings. As she poured the powdered coffee into the top of the coffee maker she heard Erik walk into the room behind her.

She turned to see his hair was a little mussed up and he had found his mask and placed it over the scar. He had also found his pants and put them on as well. He was shirtless and gave her a beautiful view of his muscular torso. She had poured the coffee in so much that it started to overflow.

"Oh, shit." She said as she noticed her mistake and tried to fix it.

"I'll help you." She turned to see Erik had moved closer and was standing right behind her.

"Thanks, but I got it." she said, she felt guilty for having another man so close to her and for having had another man do intimate things to her last night. She needed to tell Raoul.

Just as she thought that she heard a loud knock on the door and the doorknob jiggled as if the person on the other side needed to get in. "Christine, where have you been? Open the door." Raoul's angry voice said from the other side.

"Oh, no. No, no, no." she said troubled.

"What is it?" Erik asked curiously.

That's my…. brother. I need you to hide in my room." She said as she grabbed his hand and started to drag him into her bedroom.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because… uh… my brother is very protective. I don't want him to know that I spent the night with a… stranger." She said as she got him into her bedroom and was about to close the door when he stopped her.

"Then you might want to do something about our clothes scattered out there." He said as he pointed to his shirt and her clothes from yesterday that were draped over the couch and balled on the floor.

She turned to see the clothes and turned back to say "thank you" before closing the door and running to hide the clothes and open the door for Raoul.

"Where have you been?" Raoul said as he walked past her into the apartment.

"I have been here, mostly." She said as she thought of how she went for a walk before coming home with another man. That jolt of guilt hit again and she was afraid to tell her temperamental fiancé.

"I have been calling you all night. A music agent came up to me at Rory's party and wanted a meeting with us. I tried to tell you, but you didn't answer you're phone. I bought you that expensive phone and you don't even use it. I made a meeting for ten o'clock, if you get dressed now we can still make it." he said quickly.

She knew that this meeting could change her life and she wanted to be a singer. If everything went well she would never have to sing in a crumby old bar again. "I will be fast. Go downstairs and get a cab, I will be down in five minutes." She said as she started to push him to the door.

"Ok, five minutes. I'm serious." He said as he closed the door behind him and headed for the elevator.

She ran to her bedroom to find Erik sitting on her bed and she went straight to her closet to find an outfit.

"Why do you let your brother talk to you like that?" he asked as she rifled through her casual dresses.

She stopped to think about it and realized Raoul did treat her horribly. He didn't even run the meeting by her first and he assumed she would just drop what she was doing to come to him. She also hated the tone he had when he mentioned her not answering her phone. She never asked him to buy her that phone. He gave it to her as a gift. "I don't know." She said sadly.

She found a white summery dress and sweater and threw them on her bed before going to her dresser and picking out her underwear. She ran to the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom with her outfit in hand and changed quickly. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. She threw her hair up into a ponytail and came back out to the bedroom. Erik wasn't sitting on the bed; he wasn't even in the room.

Worriedly, she walked out to the living room and saw him wearing his shirt and leather jacket. He was ready to leave and he was waiting for her to come out so he could say goodbye.

"I'm sorry about this." She said miserably. "Can you meet me at the bridge, tonight at sunset?" she asked.

He looked at her surprised. "You still want to see me… after…" he said as he pointed to his mask and what she had seen underneath.

As an answer she smiled lightly and walked forward to remove his mask. At that gesture his eyes widened and he was about to speak when she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek that was marred by the scar. When she pulled back his face hadn't changed. He still looked uncomfortable and worried.

She placed the mask over his face and said, "Yes, I do want to see you again. Meet me at the bridge at five tonight."

She took his hand and brought him to the door. She opened it and walked out, then closed the door behind him. They got on the elevator and rode down to the lobby. Before the doors opened to the lobby she kissed him lightly on the lips. She turned to the doors as they opened and saw Raoul stood there waiting for her.

He didn't even notice Erik and grabbed her arm to bring her to the waiting taxi.

**xXx **

Erik watched the tall, handsome man grab Christine's arm and practically drag her out to the street. He wanted to say something to the rude gentlemen, but decided against it as Christine turned to look at him one last time to assuage his concern.

It was now ten in the morning and Christine wanted to meet him in seven hours. His adopted brother wanted to take him to lunch at twelve to catch up since he was in college in Maine and was in town for the weekend. Other than that he was free and could do whatever he wanted until five.

He walked out of the building and enjoyed the warm sun shining on his face as he walked down the street. He felt truly cheerful at the fact that he found Christine. She was the only woman, besides his mother, that has seen the scar that has taken residence on the right side of his face. He couldn't believe her reaction. She didn't seem to care one bit and she kissed it. He smiled at the memory and couldn't wait to see her again.

When he got to his apartment he went straight to the bathroom that connected to his bedroom and took a hot shower. After that he grabbed a black wife beater and a pair of jeans and put them on. He went back into his living room and looked at the grand piano that took up the majority of the room.

He sat down and started to play. Whenever he sat on the bench he had to put an alarm on so he didn't end up playing all day. He could get caught up in his composing until nothing else existed. Within what felt like ten minutes his phone went off telling him that someone was calling. He grabbed his phone out of his jacket and saw it said, David, his brother.

"Hello?" he asked into the phone.

"Hey Erik! Where are you? I'm at Joe's Grill. Weren't we supposed to meet at noon?" David asked concerned for Erik's well-being.

"Ya, I must have lost track of time." Erik said as he put his coat on and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter to head out the door.

"Oh. I was afraid you were lying dead in an alley somewhere." He said anxiously.

"You don't have to worry. I will be there in twenty minutes. I'm sorry." He said to ease his worry.

"Ok. I will be sitting at the bar." He said.

"Alright, bye." He said before hanging up and heading out the door.

Twenty minutes later he walked into the restaurant and immediately caught sight of the bright red hair and Harry Potter glasses that constructed David's look. He walked up to him at the bar and sat on the high stool next to him.

"There you are. I ordered you a beer." David said as he slid a tall glass filled with brown liquid.

"Thanks." Erik said before taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage.

The bartender/waitress came over to ask for their orders and walked away to place them.

"So how is college?" Erik asked the freshman in college that transferred to the University of Maine for a law degree.

"It is very good. All my teachers are amazing and I am actually learning things instead of listening to a professor read off facts I could have learned from reading a textbook." He said as he took a sip of his beer.

"That's good. How is Stacy?" he asked, curious about the girlfriend he hadn't met yet, but sounded like the right girl for David.

"She is wonderful. I wanted to bring her with me to meet you, but she has a test on Monday she has to study for this weekend." He said. "How about you? How is your music going?"

"Very well. I had a concert last night and received a standing ovation."

"That's great. You must have really deserved it."

"Well I did do something different." He said as he thought about how the rock music entered his mind and his fingers over his violin started to take part in the tempo of guitars and drums and the voice of an angel.

"Something original, obviously." He said with a chuckle.

It wasn't completely his, after the first taste of hearing Christine's singing voice he knew that sound in his head was her. Somehow he heard her performance that took place at the same time as his concert in his mind. She had completely changed his perception of music, he had already loved music with a passion, but she had made it more meaningful and more of a reliability to life.

"I actually met someone." He blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Who?" he asked surprised.

"Her name is Christine. You know how after my concerts I like to go somewhere calming to blow off the stress?" David nodded. "Well I went to the bridge in Central Park and after a while, this woman came and we started talking."

"And?" he asked really interested now. Since he knew Erik he had never seen him with a woman.

Erik blushed from the memory of last night and how the light touch of lips sparked a passion he had never had for another human being.

"You kissed her didn't you?" David asked in that 'you can't hide anything from me' tone.

He blushed brighter. _'We did a lot more than kiss.' _He thought.

David must have been able to read his expression because he asked unbelievably, "You had sex with her?"

Erik turned his head to make sure no one heard them and thankfully noticed that everyone else in the restaurant wasn't paying attention. He turned back to David and said, "Would you keep your voice down."

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe you had a one night stand with someone."

"I didn't have a one night stand. She wants to meet me at the bridge tonight." He said.

"I want to meet this girl that has obviously stolen your heart."

"She hasn't stolen my heart." He said with a laugh, but was pretty sure she did.

"I can tell when music changes your life. This girl has changed you more than any music sheet could." He said seriously.

Before he could answer the waitress came back with David's grilled chicken sandwich and Erik's steak and retreated again.

The rest of the lunch was in silence with a few comments and gestures between bites. David wanted to visit their mother before visiting old high school friends so Erik went back home. Before he could get lost in his music he changed into his workout clothes and jumped on the treadmill for an hour run.

He turned his stereo up high and drowned in the upbeat music as he ran. When the hour was up he got off and returned to the bathroom for another shower. When the sweat and grime was off his skin he changed into a button down red shirt and black dress pants. He put his white mask on and returned to his living room.

His apartment was a little messy, so he put his dirty clothes that were draped over the furniture into a laundry basket in his bathroom. He put books and papers into neat piles and placed them on the shelves on the bookcase. After a few basic cleaning chores he saw that the sun was lowering and the sky was changing from blue to pink.

He grabbed his coat and headed out to walk to the park. On the way there he stopped at a flower stand and grabbed a dozen red roses from the vendor before returning on his journey.

When he reached the bridge it was empty just as it had been when he got there the night before. He checked his watch to see he was thirty minutes early. He decided to wait around and as he waited he thought of how he wanted to spend his life with Christine. He knew it had only been one day since he learned she even existed, but he had a feeling she was the one girl that he would spend his life with.

He could picture himself getting married to her in a year or two and having babies with her. He could see them raising their children and see her sing them to sleep with her lulling voice. He could see himself teaching their son or daughter to play the piano or the violin.

His thoughts finally ended as he realized the sun was completely gone and the moon and stars dominated the dark sky.

He looked at his watch and saw it said it was fifteen minutes past six. Christine should have been here by now, but he was willing to wait a while longer before he got worried.

After another fifteen minutes of waiting he started getting really anxious and he was ready to go to her apartment when a man started walking quickly towards him. When the man got closer Erik noticed who he was and realized it was the blonde handsome man that was very rude to Christine earlier.

The man stopped when he got ten feet in front of Erik and looked determined. Before Erik could figure out what the man was doing here, the man spoke.

"She isn't coming." Raoul said, smiling on the inside at his genius plan.

**xXx**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am going to upload another chapter for Infinite Love next so be on the lookout.**

**Please Comment and Review!**


	3. Blind to the Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I only own the unrecognizable characters and some of the plot ideas.**

**Please Comment and Review!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 3: Blind to the Truth

"_She isn't coming." Raoul said smiling on the inside, but resolute on the outside. _

**xXx**

_Earlier that day_

When Christine opened her apartment door Raoul automatically sensed a change in her and the atmosphere around her.

She still wore the make-up she applied last night and her hair was mussed as if she had just woken. She was usually so clean in the morning; her make-up should have been erased when she got home last night. Also she never slept naked or in her robe. Even on the hottest night in the summer she would wear a large t-shirt or pajama shorts and tank top. Now she is obviously completely nude under her silk robe.

He walked into the apartment and noticed she had two mugs set on the kitchen counter awaiting coffee. _'Why would she have two mugs out?'_ He then noticed a pair of black dress shoes sitting against the wall, shoes that belonged to a man, not him.

She definitely had a man here. He decided to drop the fact for now as he had an important meeting to talk about.

When Christine practically shoved him out the door, he waited for a minute to see if he could hear another person's voice inside. Just before he decided to give up he heard feet shuffling. After another moment he heard Christine's voice.

_"Can you meet me at the bridge, tonight at sunset?"_

With that one question he knew she was talking to another man. He walked away and went to the elevator before he broke down her door in rage. He knew he shouldn't be mad at her for he had committed that crime many times since he became engaged to her. He just didn't want to risk losing her, for she was his way out of debt and poor living.

When he reached the lobby he called a taxi and waited for Christine to come down. He didn't have to wait long and when the elevator doors opened he saw her standing next to a man wearing a mask. He refused to look at him and grabbed Christine.

He got her in the cab and told the driver to go to the luxurious, new café that sat a few streets down. When they reached the café he saw the agent in the window sipping from a mug. He plastered a smile on his face and took hold of Christine's hand before exiting the taxi.

He looked to Christine, who looked taken aback at his smile and kept walking. When Raoul and Christine reached the table the man stood and held out his hand.

"Good to see you again, Raoul." He said as he shook Raoul's hand. "This must be the talented Christine Darden." He said as he turned his attention to the beautiful singer. "My name is Frank Nelson."

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Nelson." Christine said politely as she shook the man's hand in greeting.

"It is wonderful to meet you. I heard your performance last night and I was eager to meet you. I hope we can do business together." He said as they all took their seats and started to discuss her future career.

"I would love that." She said with a genuine smile that lit up both the men at the table.

"Excellent. I would like to get you in a recording studio, so that we can get your voice on discs. Then we can start to get you into bigger gigs." He said as he pulled out his blackberry and started pressing buttons. "I am actually free for the rest of the day. Would you like to do this now?" he asked as he looked up from his phone.

"Sure. That would be great." She said, getting really excited and almost jumping for excitement.

"First things first, I need you to sign these. They are just contracts that bind you and our agency together for a year. If you want to continue with us when the year is up, you will need to sign this again." Frank said as he pulled out a couple forms from his briefcase and slid them across the table with a fancy pen.

Christine looked at Raoul for guidance and Raoul smiled, saying it was a good idea. She picked up the pen and signed her name on the dotted line. With that declaration she had left the horrible performances behind and started new, with a wonderful career ahead of her.

"Wonderful." He said as he took the papers and neatly put them back in his bag. He took his last sip of coffee and stood. "Raoul, will you be joining us?" he said as he turned to the blonde gentleman who was silent through the whole meeting.

"I have a couple errands to run actually. Christine go along with him and I will pick you up in a few hours." He said as he stood also and patted her shoulder in encouragement.

"Ok." She said a little unsure.

"I will be there to pick you up at four." He said. "Is that too long? Should I pick her up earlier?" he asked the agent.

"No, four is perfect. I have the whole day off so I can work with her voice for as long as you need me to." Frank said.

"Great. I will see you later Christine." Raoul said with a light kiss on her cheek.

"Bye." She said watching him leave the café and enter a taxi. She turned back to Frank and the excitement built up more.

"Shall we?" he said as he gestured to the exit.

They walked out of the café and he hailed a cab to drive them to their destination. The drive took ten minutes and when they reached the recording studio Frank paid the driver and walked her into the building.

They walked into a large lobby and the receptionist with her red hair, pinned high, looked up and cheerily said, "Hello, Mr. Nelson."

"Hello, Patricia." He said as he walked Christine down the hall.

He opened a door and they walked in to a small room, with machines and clutter and switches dominating most of the space. There was a large window above the display of switches and nobs that showed a more open space with a microphone and earphones.

Christine's heart was beating faster than a marathon runners and she felt like she was going to faint. This morning she woke up thinking the best thing that had happened to her since she started dating Raoul was meeting Erik and now this moment almost matched that.

Erik was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. Adding this on, this was becoming the best weekend of her life. She couldn't wait to meet Erik tonight and tell him all about this.

The second she entered the recording room and stood before the microphone, she felt like she was in a different world. Everything around her disappeared and she got lost in the music for more than half the day.

She completely lost track of time and she believed Raoul would show in time for her to go home and shower before meeting Erik. Raoul never showed and she looked at the clock to see she was almost an hour late to meet Erik.

She rushed out of the building, leaving Frank and two other workers staring after her in confusion. Not the best way to start off the year with these people. All she cared about was meeting Erik and she hoped to God he was still there.

**xXx **

"She isn't coming." Raoul said.

Erik looked confused and a little hurt at the statement. _'Why would she not come? Why would she send her brother to tell me this?' _"I'm sorry?" he asked in question.

"Christine doesn't want to see you again. She sent me to break the news. She doesn't want a relationship getting in the way of her music." Raoul said coming up with the lie as he went along.

"She told me she wanted to see me again. Why would she change her mind?" he asked sadly.

"You want to know the truth. I am her fiancé, she is getting married to me and she told me everything. She told me it was a mistake and it was just the result of cold feet." Raoul said in a rush, starting to get red in the face with frustration. _'Why couldn't this guy just give up?'_

Erik looked at Raoul in complete shock. He remembered when Christine got really nervous and scared when the knock came to the door this morning. It made more sense that the man was her fiancé and not an overprotective brother. It still hurt deeply. _'Why would she spend the night with me if she had a fiancé and was planning to marry? Why would she plan to meet up with me if she was already involved with another man?'_ Erik thought, feeling very confused.

It took him a moment to absorb the new information and he felt like he was only hearing one side of the story. He needed to hear Christine's side.

"Excuse me." Erik said as he walked past Raoul and headed off the bridge.

"She doesn't want to see you. I wouldn't bother going to her apartment, she's not there." Raoul said from behind him.

"Where is she?" Erik asked as he turned back to Raoul for an answer.

Raoul smiled and said, "Waiting at my place. She told me to come here to end… this… and when it was finished she would be waiting for me."

Erik was getting more and more miserable and upset. He didn't think this man was telling the truth, but he was too blind to think or understand. All he knew was Christine and his relationship was over before it even started.

He turned back and walked away holding in the pain and sorrow that took over his heart and locked it away.

**xXx **

Christine practically sprinted across Rockefeller Center and past all the apartment buildings. She ran through a small portion of the park and saw the bridge getting closer and closer. She kept running until she couldn't heave in enough air. She stopped when she stood right next to the water and the bridge was close enough to count the stones and rocks that constructed it. She didn't see anyone standing on it and she feared what she would find.

She ran again forgetting the fact that she was completely out of breath. When she stood in the center of the bridge able to see both ends she wanted to collapse. Erik wasn't there. He left. Before she left she saw a piece of folded up paper stuffed into a crease in the rocks next to where she stood.

She grabbed it and unfolded it. It was very hard to read without any source of light so she walked off the bridge and to the closest street lamp to read it underneath. It was written in a somewhat familiar handwriting, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.

_Christine,_

_I found out about your fiancé. I don't want to split up a relationship that has lasted far enough to reach marriage._

_I hope you enjoy the rest of your life with him. I know I enjoyed our one night together. Just promise me one thing: You will never come looking for me. I am leaving and I hope you forget about me, as I will forget about you._

_Goodbye. _

_Your One Night Stand_

She was completely stunned. _'How did Erik find out about Raoul? Why did he just give up on what we had so easily?'_ she thought. She wanted to break up with Raoul and be with Erik. Erik made her happier and more complete in one night then Raoul ever did in the two years they had been together.

She felt like collapsing. Not from exhaustion, but from heartbreak.

He didn't want her to contact him or see him again. She wanted to be with him, but she has no idea where to find him. She doesn't exactly have the money to buy a concert ticket for a Juilliard foundation. That was the only thing she knew about him and she couldn't do anything about it.

She was blind to the truth of everything. She was blind to the fact that Erik was devastated at the loss of her. She was too blind to figure out a way to find him. She was also blind to the fact that it wasn't Erik's words that were written on that paper, but Raoul's handwriting and fake words.

**xXx**

**Sorry for the really short chapter and long wait! **

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	4. Pregnant?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I am just borrowing them to entertain myself and my readers. I only own the unfamiliar characters and some plot ideas.**

**A/N: For those Raoul likers I am sorry that the last chapter made you very angry at him. I needed it to develop the story. I still haven't decided what I am going to do with him in the very end, but I promise it will be good for those people that don't like him, period. I am sorry to the Raoul lovers, but he is a much hated character in this story. You will see.**

**Music Within**

Chapter 4: Pregnant?

After leaving Christine's _fiancé_ on the bridge he knew he made a mistake. He knew he would never be the same. He tried to keep himself from going to her, but after a week it became too hard. He was walking past the park and decided to go to the bridge one last time. He walked up to the stone made bridge and looked around hoping she would show. After waiting for a couple hours he retraced his steps from a couple nights ago and found himself outside her apartment building.

He stood on the other side of the street and with cars breezing by with the light traffic of the day he had to stand and wait at the crosswalk. He was ready to confront her and ask her why she lied to him, but he stopped short when he saw her standing on the curb. Her hair blew lightly in the wind and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a tight sweatshirt. She held her phone in one hand and kept looking at it to check the time. After he absorbed the sight of her he noticed a suitcase on the ground next to her. _'Was she leaving? Where was she going?'_

Before he had a chance to reach her a sleek black limousine drove up beside her and stopped. The blonde man from the bridge climbed out and took her suitcase to put it in the driver's hand. The driver than put it in the trunk before closing the passenger door after Christine and Raoul climbed in together.

Erik wanted to break down on the sidewalk when he saw Raoul kiss Christine on the lips. The lips he would never be able to kiss again. They got into the car and out of sight. When the driver got back to the driver's seat they pulled away and were gone.

The sign for people to start crossing lit and he started walking in a haze across the street to stand ten feet from where his love stood moments ago. He had to know where she was going. He walked into her building and remembered that there was a lobby receptionist that probably knew about her whereabouts. As he approached her the woman looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. Probably from his mask or, the unlikely, she saw the article of the Juilliard concert and she knew who he was.

"Excuse me. Could I see Christine…?" _'Shit. I never learned her last name.'_

The woman looked at him blankly and realized he was having trouble placing a last name. The woman also realized this was the man the Raoul Chaney had warned her about. Raoul had told her that if this man came asking for a Christine to tell him that she was leaving for her honeymoon.

"I'm sorry sir. The only woman that lives in this building with the first name Christine is Christine Darden-Chaney. You just missed her; she is headed for her honeymoon." The woman lied exceptionally well.

Erik felt lightheaded and everything was getting dizzy. He knew if he didn't leave this building he would strangle someone. Everything was turning red and he wanted nothing more than to break down and cry. Instead he went the other route and balled all his emotions up and stuffed it deep inside to never be brought out again.

He walked out into the sunny day and instead of reflecting the brightness with happiness he walked amongst everyone with a huge dark cloud over his head.

**xXx**

Christine climbed into the dark limo with Raoul following behind her and they were headed to the airport. When she got in she saw Frank Nelson sitting across from her wearing his business suit.

"Hello Frank." She said in a cheery morning voice.

She actually was super cheery this morning. She was happy to get away from her apartment. Everything at her place reminded her of Erik. She would walk into the kitchen and see the coffee maker, the coffee that never got made that morning. She walked into her room and remembered the amazing joining that they shared. She would remember waking to see his face, the scar that would have made anyone jump back in fear, but not her. When she stood in the living room she remembered seeing him walk out of the bedroom shirtless and she remembered walking out to see him searching for his clothes. One visit into her apartment and he took over every room and made it very hard to forget him.

"I'm great. Ready for the five hour plane ride to Los Angeles?" he asked as he looked up from his phone.

"Very. I am happy to get away for a little while." She said as the car jolted forward into traffic.

"You are doing very well. You have been committed to your voice for over two weeks. I have had to drag you out of the recording studio at the end of the day. You really deserve this."

"Thank you." Christine said with a smile.

Frank made a suggestion to bring Christine to Los Angeles for a meeting with his boss. He never did this, but with Christine and her dedication he thought she deserved it. They were going to LA to let her meet the big people in the business and set up a performance at one of the nice clubs in the city. Christine was happy to get away from all the memories of Erik and to start her life in music.

The rest of the ride was silent and when they reached the airport she started to get nervous. She had never been on a plane before and she was worried about leaving the city she grew up in. Of course it was only for a week, but she still knew she was going to get homesick.

When she entered the plane and she saw the ground slowly go into the distance she knew there was no going back. She would be gone for a week and hopefully when she got back all memories from that glorious night would be gone. She could only hope.

**xXx**

_2 Months Later_

Christine stood in her bedroom looking in the full length mirror at the wedding dress that she wore. The wedding was in a month and she was in a constant state of cold feet and depression. Even looking at the dress of her dreams covering her body she couldn't hold a true smile. None of it meant anything without the _man_ of her dreams.

She grabbed the veil that was draped on her bed and placed it on her head. Even the complete ensemble didn't make her smile. It just made her cry, not happy tears. She collapsed on the ground, not caring that the dress would get dirty. Once all the tears were dried out she started to sing a song that she wrote about Erik and their time together.

"**The sun is in the east**

**Rising for the beasts and the beauties**

**I wish that I could tear it down**

**Plant it in the ground to warm your face**

**And I built myself a castle on the beach**

**Watching as it slid into the sea**

**The world carries on without you**

**But nothing remains the same**

**I'll be lost without you**

**Until the last of days**

**Until the last of days"**

She suddenly had the urge to go to the bathroom. She had been rushing to the bathroom five times already today and it was only noon. Once she had the dress removed and hung up in the closet she grabbed one of Raoul's old shirts he left months ago and a pair of grey sweatpants. She went into the bathroom and sat on the toilet. She got up and went to wash her hands when she realized her bottle of soap was empty. She opened the cupboard under the sink to grab another container of soap. When she searched through the cleaning supplies for the soap she saw the open package of tampons.

Forgetting what she was looking for she grabbed the box of feminine hygiene and stood up. _'When was the last time I had my period? A month? Two?'_ She dropped the box from her lifeless fingers and ran to the kitchen to look at the calendar on the wall.

She did the math and realized the last time she had her monthly period was a little over two months ago, one or two weeks before she met Erik. She never believed she would get pregnant as Raoul had always used protection and the only time they ever went unprotected Raoul pulled out before any of his "ingredient" made its way into her body. She and Raoul never had a healthy sex life. Once or twice a month they would come together so there was a very little chance of reproduction. The only time she was unprotected was when she was with Erik.

She grabbed a seat before she collapsed on the tiled floor and put her hand over her stomach. _'There is something inside of me?' _she thought in complete shock. _'It's Erik's.'_ She burst into tears again, scared tears. _'How was she ever going to take care of the baby? Raoul never wanted to have kids.' _She was worried about telling Raoul, but she knew it had to be done. It wasn't his child; he shouldn't have to take responsibility for it. How was she going to get in touch with Erik? He had to know about this, even though he hated her.

After the initial shock she jumped up to grab a pair of boots and her suede coat. She grabbed her purse from next to the door in her hurry to get out the door. She ran down to the closest convenience store which was right around the corner and flew to the feminine section. She stood in front of three different kinds of pregnancy tests and grabbed one of each just in case.

She went up to the register with those three boxes and a jug of water. She fumbled for her money as the man started ringing everything in.

"That comes to $20.96." the man said as he bagged it all together in a plastic bag.

She threw a twenty and one dollar bill on the counter before grabbing the bag and darting to the door. Before she reached the door the man spoke loud enough for her to hear. "Good luck."

She turned back surprised. "What did you say?" she asked genuinely unsure of what he said as all she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her throat.

"Good luck. You look like you really want it to be positive. I hope it is for you." He said openly.

She didn't know how to react to that so she just gave a small, sad smile and walked out of the store. On her way back to her apartment she started to think of what that man said. _'Why did he think I wanted it to be positive?'_ one side of her thought. The other side fought back and said, _'Because you want a reason to see Erik again. And you want a reason to leave Raoul.' _

That side rang true. She wanted it to be positive. She wanted to tell Raoul the truth and she wanted to be free from his chains. She wanted to find Erik and tell him what they made together. She wanted to tell him that she missed him and she wanted him back. She wanted to tell him that in that one night she had fallen so deeply in love with him that there was no turning back.

She reached her apartment and closed the door behind her and locked it. She took the cap off the gallon of water and started to drink really fast. Within a couple minutes she had to pee again so she grabbed one box of pregnancy tests and opened it. She went into the bathroom and followed the instructions on the back. She did as it told and waited three minutes for the plus or minus sign to show. When her alarm went off she looked and it showed a plus sign. She went into the kitchen again to grab the water and the other two boxes.

Over an hour later she stood in the bathroom with her hand covering her mouth and tears rolling down her cheeks. A plus sign, a smiley face and the word pregnant all looked back at her on three different sticks. She was pregnant.

She immediately grabbed her cell phone and called her gynecologist to make an appointment for tomorrow. When that was done she called Raoul and left a message saying she needed to see him right away and to meet her at her apartment.

Thirty minutes later there was a knock at the door and she answered to see a worried Raoul. "What is it? Are you ok?" he asked out of breath as he had run to her door in a hurry to see her.

She still had tears building in her eyes and she couldn't look him in the eyes. He grabbed her arm and brought her over to the couch and sat next to her.

She finally looked up at him and saw how concerned he was. That made it much harder for her to say this. "I'm pregnant."

He didn't speak. He didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just sat there holding her hands and staring into her eyes with shock. After a minute he tried to talk but it came out choked and raw. He couldn't even speak one syllable.

"I'm going to get you a glass of water." She said as she got up and headed to the kitchen.

When she turned back he was standing right behind her and the shock of the moment was over and he just looked pissed. "We always used protection. How did this happen?"

This was the hard part, telling him the whole truth. "I'm sorry. It's not yours."

"Of course it's not mine. It's that monsters. It's that masked man's." He said with a spitting anger. His face growing red and he was becoming close to smoke coming out of his ears.

She looked at him in surprise, her eyes larger than ever before. "You know about Erik?"

"Of course I do. Who do you think got rid of him?" Raoul said angrily.

His anger was not as big as hers at that moment. Confusion was evident as she was having trouble piecing everything together. Anger was bubbling under the surface because she just realized the reason why Erik never wanted to see her again.

"What did you do?" she said softly afraid if she spoke any louder he would hear the choked voice that was ready to burst forth.

In Raoul's anger he didn't realize what he was saying and he just rambled on with the truth, telling her every detail of his encounter with Erik and the note that he left for her pretending it was Erik's words. When it was all over Christine couldn't help herself and she slapped him across his flawless face.

"Where is he?" she screamed in his face as he cradled his bruising cheek with one hand.

"He left. I don't where he went, but I haven't seen him since then." He said.

"You deserve another slap." She said angrily. "But I am not going to give you one. A slap is to little a punishment." She removed the engagement ring he gave her and slapped it in his palm before motioning to the door and saying, "Get out."

"Christine, I didn't mean what I said. We can work this out." He said as he looked into her eyes with that charming smile and twinkle in his eyes that would make any girl swoon. But not her, not anymore.

"We are done." She hissed. "Now leave." She pointed to the door and gave him a _'you are dead to me'_ look.

He reluctantly walked over to the door and opened it. He turned back to look at her and saw she was holding her tears of anger back and she had a stern look on her face. He couldn't look at her any longer or else he would run back and grovel at her feet for forgiveness. He closed the door behind him and hated himself with every step he took out of the building. He knew he had to get her back. Maybe when she calmed down he would come back to her and she would take him back with open arms.

Christine quickly went into her bedroom and changed into something more professional and clean before leaving her apartment and getting a cab.

"Where to miss?" the Russian cab driver asked when she closed the door behind her.

"Juilliard, School of Music. And step on it." she said out of breath. Juilliard was the only thing she knew about Erik so it was a start. Hopefully he would be willing to take me back after three months. Hopefully he hasn't found someone else or moved on.

When they reached Lincoln Center she paid the driver and hopped out of the yellow cab. She ran past the looming buildings and the fountains that teenagers were hanging out at. She reached the school and walked in to be greeted by the receptionist at the front desk.

"Do you know where I can find Erik Daines?" Christine asked with determination.

"The violinist?" the woman asked.

"Yes. He played at the Juilliard String Quartet last September." She said hoping she knew who she was talking about.

"Yes. Let me just call Stephanie Emer, she is Erik's mentor. She might be able to answer that for you." The woman said as she picked up the phone next to her computer and started pressing numbers.

She waited a moment for an answer and then said into the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Emer. There is a woman here looking for Erik Daines." A pause. "Ok, thank you." She hung up and turned to Christine to tell her, "Mrs. Emer is available for five minutes. She will be right out."

"Thank you." Christine said anxiously.

She leaned against the desk waiting for this woman to come and meet her. She didn't have to wait long as a woman with graying hair walked out with a briefcase and held her hand out for a shake.

"Stephanie Emer?" she asked curiously.

"Yes and you are?" she said.

"Christine. Christine Darden. I need to see Erik Daines. Could you possibly tell me where he is or give me a number that I can reach him at."

"I'm sorry. Erik left his position here at Juilliard and relocated. I don't know where he went. All I know is he won't be back for a long time. He looked very upset and troubled the last time I saw him."

"He left?" Christine asked in a soft whisper.

"Yes. I'm very sorry, but I need to be going." She asked as she walked past her and to the building doors.

Christine followed quickly and asked, "Do you know if there is anyone I can talk to that knows where he is?"

"No. He didn't even tell his mother where he was going. I don't even think he knew where he was going. He just knew he had to get out of New York."

"Do you know why?" she asked, although she had a pretty good idea of what dragged him out of the city.

"Again I am not sure. All I know is he looked very upset when he left. He almost looked… heart broken. The strange thing about that is I have known him for many years and I have never seen him with a woman."

"Never?" Christine asked surprised.

"He was adopted by my sister when he was ten so I have known him almost all his life. He was in a private All Boy's school all growing up and I never heard him talk about a girl before. Very strange." She said as she stopped in front of a black car with a man holding the door open. "Thank you Thomas." She said as she climbed into the car and the door shut behind her. She unrolled the window to tell Christine one last thing. "I am really sorry that I can't give you any more information. Hopefully if you mean something to him he'll call you."

Before Christine could even say anything else the car meshed with the traffic and went down the street. She was never going to see Erik again. _'He believes I hate him and never want to see him again. He thinks I am marrying Raoul.' _She thought. Stephanie had said that if she was special to Erik he would find her._ 'I am no longer special to him, I am nothing.'_

Before everyone around her could see her collapse in fear and sadness she hailed a taxi and climbed in.

"Where you going?" the cab driver asked.

The first address Christine could think of was her father's apartment here in New York City. She gave the driver the address of her childhood home and watched the scenery fly by as she sat in the back of the car.

After a twenty minute drive through traffic she found herself in front of the building her dad lived in. She paid the driver and walked into the building. She rang the button that said P. Darden and waited for an answer.

"Yes?" she heard her familiar father's voice speak.

"Hi Dad." She said with a throat thick of emotion and tears.

Without an answer the buzzer went off and she reached for the door to enter. She took the elevator to the third floor where he lived and when she reached the door it was already open and her father was standing in front of her.

Without one word spoken he took her in his arms when he saw her tears and he held her in the doorway for longer than was necessary. After a long time and a soaked shoulder her father whispered in her ear.

"What's wrong?"

**xXx**

**Last of Days by A Fine Frenzy **


	5. Baby on the Way

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am just borrowing the ideas for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I was really busy writing Infinite Love and going through the pinnacle moment. **

**Also if you have read Erik's Mermaid, please check out my profile. At the bottom of the page there is a link to a beautiful drawing of Erik and Christine on the beach that my friend Erik'sLittleLotte56's sister drew for me. It is absolutely amazing and even if you haven't read Erik's Mermaid check out the picture. It is wonderful!**

**Anyway on with the story…**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 5: Baby on the Way

**xXx **

_Six and a Half Months Later_

"Everything is looking very good, Christine." The obstetrician said as she took her rubber gloves off after inspecting the baby's progress. "You should have a healthy baby girl in the first week of April."

"I feel like it has gone by so quickly." Christine said as she sat up on the hospital seat. She caressed her large stomach comfortably.

"Many woman feel that way, others can't wait to get the baby out." She said with a laugh. "Even if you don't feel contractions, come in in three weeks to see if she is ready to come out."

"I will. Thank you." She said.

"I will see you soon." She said as she shook Christine's hand and walked out of the room to let her change.

Christine slowly and difficultly put her shirt and long flowing skirt back on and left the room to head to the waiting room. When she saw her father sitting there waiting for her she smiled.

"Ready, darling?" he asked.

"Yeah." They walked out together into the warm spring day.

Christine was lost in her thoughts. She couldn't believe that it was already the middle of March and the baby was due in less than a month. She still missed Erik terribly, but she knew that with this baby girl she had a piece of him with her always. She couldn't wait to see what the baby looked like; she hoped she had her father's eyes and everything about him so that she could be reminded of him forever.

"So would you like to go to dinner tonight? We could go to that Mexican restaurant you love so much." Her father said breaking through her thoughts.

"How about lunch. I am starving." She said back. "I just need to go home and change, this is too hot." She said as she motioned to her clothes.

They had reached her father's apartment building and they made it up to his apartment in silence. When they got inside, her father automatically went in on his thoughts.

"Christine, I wish you would call Raoul." He said hoping she would agree this time.

"Father, I have told you, Raoul doesn't want to see me. We ended pretty horribly and in my opinion I don't want him to be involved in this baby's life." She said back, irritated.

Christine told her father everything the day she came to him months ago. The only thing she kept out was everything about Erik. One, because it was still too emotional to talk about him and two, because she didn't want her father to think she was a dirty cheater.

Her father always loved Raoul and really wanted her to marry him. He thought they were perfect together and thought the whole break-up was a misunderstanding and a little bump in the road. Two years of their lives was too much to just throw away on a little fight, even though he didn't know the extent of it.

Christine didn't want to have this same conversation again so she quickly made her way to the spare room she called her bedroom. She hadn't gone back to her apartment in a few months. The day she came to her father for help was the day she stopped sleeping in her apartment. She came back a couple times to grab clothes and necessities. It was still too difficult to be in the apartment, she had finally gotten over the invisible presence of Erik, but when she found out she had Erik's child inside of her she couldn't handle it anymore.

By the time she changed her clothes to a baby doll dress and sandals she pulled her hair up high and exited her bedroom. Her father still stood where she left him and he was silent. He gave up giving her the same rant so he planned to go in a different approach.

Christine and her father headed to the Mexican restaurant that Christine had been fond of for years. When they sat down, Christine ordered her favorite spicy quesadilla and her father got the mild nachos. They enjoyed eating the exotic food and when they finished her father paid the bill and they made their way out of the building.

"Father, I have something I have to do. I would like some time alone for a moment." Christine said as her father tried hailing a taxi.

"Christine you are due in less than a month, I don't feel comfortable being separated from you." He said worriedly.

"I just want to go to Central Park. I just need to clear my head." She said, hoping he would take the bait so she could get away.

"Alright. There is something I need to do also so I will let you go. If anything happens you need to call me right away." He said. "You have your phone?" he asked.

"Yes. Right here." She said as she grabbed it from her purse and stuck it in the pocket of her dress for easy reach.

"Alright. Be home in an hour or so." He said as he finally got a cab and motioned for her to get in.

"Dad, the park is right down the street. I will walk, you take the cab. I will see you later." She said as she already started walking down the sidewalk where the park was in view.

"Fine. See you soon." He said as he got in the cab and headed down the street.

She slowly made her way to the park and when she got there she had one place in mind. The place she went every month on the day she met Erik. The bridge.

Every time she got there she hoped he would be there waiting for her, but as every time she reached the cobblestone structure she never saw him in sight.

She got to the bridge and stood in the place she had stood the moment she saw Erik. If she closed her eyes she could still see him standing there with a violin case by his feet and a dreamy look in his eyes. She felt her feet start to move and she suddenly stood at the peak of the bridge where she had a conversation with him and they were overcome by an intense sensation when their lips touched. She didn't know how long she stood there, but every time she came here she lost track of time and found the sun going down in the sky and the moon come up to light the night.

She promised her father she would be back within the hour, but it had already been a couple hours and the light of the day was slowly starting to dim. She knew Erik wasn't going to come this time and she let a single tear fall from her eyes in disappointment.

She started walking down the slope of the bridge and when she reached the Earth again she felt a wet sensation explode from in between her legs. She looked down to see her dress was wet and her panties were completely soaked through. Shock of the moment kept her from understanding what was happening and she suddenly grasped her belly in pain. Her first contraction.

She felt the little weight of her phone in her pocket and she grasped it with shaking fingers. She couldn't stop the shaking and it took her three times to punch in the right numbers.

"911 Emergency. How can I assist you?" a high pitched female operator said on the other line.

"I am going to have a baby." Christine screamed, having no time for patience she immediately told the woman where she was and told her to bring an ambulance before hanging up.

She tried going through her contacts to find her father, but she couldn't seem to make her fingers work. She gave up and put her phone in her pocket. She started walking towards the street to get closer to the distant ambulance siren.

When she saw the hospital car coming closer she waved one hand in the air to get their attention and her other hand covered her stomach protectively.

She found herself lying on a gurney and being pulled into the back of the ambulance with paramedics starting to get to work on her before she reached the hospital. They gave her an IV drip and covered her mouth and nose with a breathing apparatus. The doctor started looking at a sheet and talking on a phone.

"Early twenties. Female. In the beginning stages of labor. Needs assistance right away." The man turned his attention to Christine and asked, "Who is your obstetrician?"

"Doctor Sarah Wells." She said trying to stay calm and taking deep breaths of oxygen.

The man said the doctors name into the phone and continued putting information on the sheet in front of him.

Christine couldn't hear anything but the siren from the car she lay in and the beat of her heart. All the questions the man tried to ask were silenced by her thoughts. _'I am about to have my baby. Erik's baby. The little girl will be brought into the world soon enough.'_ She had already thought of names over the last six months and she finally decided on one. Erika Darden. She didn't know if she wanted the baby to have Erik's last name or not so she decided not. She already gave the baby Erik's name.

When she arrived at the hospital she suddenly remembered her father had no idea where she was. She was rolled into the hospital on the bed and pushed through many sliding doors, deeper and deeper into the hospital.

"Daddy. I need my Daddy." She said in whispers. She was suddenly brought back to her childhood as she was put through so much pain and she was separated from everyone she knew.

"We will call your father right away as soon as we get you into the operation room." The nurse said.

When she was finally stopped and she saw the machines surrounding her and the tubes and wires connected to her to give her less pain she screamed for her daddy as the next contraction came to her.

The nurse motioned for one of the other paramedics to call her father and the man left the room to make the call. As the man left Christine was changed from her clothes into a hospital gown. Her legs were put up into stirrups and she wanted nothing more but the pain to stop.

Christine was in so much pain and she needed someone she knew with her. Her doctor came into the room and sat in between her legs to inspect the baby's progress. After a moment of examination she looked up at the nurse and quickly motioned for more nurses to be brought in.

"She needs to get a C-section. The baby is not planning on moving any time soon and if the baby doesn't turn around she will be breech. If that happens the baby may have trouble breathing or may come out with a deformity. We don't want that. Set up an operating room and we will have her sedated." Doctor Wells said to the nurses. "Call the on call surgeon and tell him we need an emergency C-section." She demanded of one of the nurses.

The nurses started bustling around to get to work and Christine just lay there helpless. She went through another contraction and it was more painful than the last.

"I need my Daddy." She screamed.

**xXx **

Christine's father sat at the table in the little café waiting for his company to arrive. When he saw the blond man walk in the door he stood and waved him over.

"Raoul, it is nice to see you." He said with a hug.

"Same here, Mr. Darden." Raoul said as he sat down across from him.

"Please it is Paul." He said as he took another sip of his coffee.

"What is the reason of this get together?" Raoul asked concerned.

"Christine is pregnant with your child. That baby is in need of a father and you need to be there for her." He said. "Christine tells me you two had a fight and I know that two years is too much to just throw away over such a small misunderstanding."

Raoul was very confused. Christine told her father that the baby was his. Christine told him they had a fight that was small and nothing that can't be fixed. This would work out very well for him. He could be back in Christine's life easily. Thanks to her father.

"I want to be with her, but she won't return any of my calls and she won't see me. I would love to be a part of the baby's life, but she won't allow it."

"What was the fight about? Christine hasn't told me anything." He said.

Raoul didn't know what to say because he didn't know what Christine had mentioned about the end of the relationship. He took a chance and lied the best he could. "I don't even remember. It was a small fight that escalated and I honestly don't remember any of it. I just know Christine got very angry and she isn't willing to forgive me."

"I honestly think she is lost without you. She cries at night, she doesn't think I notice, but I do. I can see that raising this baby on her own is scary for her. I don't think she is ready for the responsibility held on her. I think you need to be there for her. I want you two to be together, I want you two to take care of this baby together." Paul was cut off by the ringing of his phone in his pocket.

He picked up the phone and noticed it was a number he didn't recognize. He clicked the call button and put it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked.

He went from curiosity to worry within the first few words spoken on the other line. He quickly stood from the chair and started walking to the door of the café. He still had the phone to his ear and he finally said, "I will be right there."

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Raoul asked with interest.

"Christine is at the hospital. She went into labor." He said with round worried eyes.

He tried hailing a cab and when he got one Raoul spoke up.

"Paul. May I come? Can I see the birth of my child?" he asked.

"Of course. Get in." he said as he scooted across the seat to let Raoul in.

The cab sped all the way to the hospital and when they got there Paul was ready to faint from worry. They asked the front receptionist where the maternity ward was and they took the elevator to the floor and went down the hall. They were stopped by a nurse when they were ready to walk through the rocking doors of the maternity hall.

"Can I help you?" the middle aged woman asked irritated and she looked like she hadn't slept in two days.

"I am looking for my daughter. She just went into labor." Paul asked shaking nervously.

"What's her name?" the woman asked.

"Christine Darden."

The nurse walked over to the computer and typed in the name. After a moment of searching she said, "Christine is in the middle of having a C-section, she should be out soon. You may sit in the waiting room and the doctor will be out to let you know when she is out of surgery."

Paul reluctantly turned and went to the nearby waiting room with Raoul on his heels. Raoul had been quiet through the whole situation. He was too busy figuring out a way to get rid of the child. If Christine had a baby she wouldn't be able to continue singing and become famous. She needs to work on herself not a baby.

After waiting for an hour in the uncomfortable waiting room watching daytime game shows Paul stood up and Raoul thought he was going to start pacing again. But Paul got up and said groggily, "I am going to find the bathroom."

After only a couple minutes after Paul disappeared down the hallway the doctor came into the room.

"Christine Darden." He said trying to find the group of people that were waiting for news on her.

Raoul quickly stood and came over to talk to the doctor that had been with Christine the whole time. "Are you the father?" the man said.

"Yes. Raoul Chaney." Raoul said.

"Christine is doing fine. She is out of surgery; we are just waiting for her to wake up. Everything went fine and the baby is very healthy." He said.

"Wonderful." He said only caring about Christine's well-being. Looking at the doctor and the sheet that held all of Christine's information he found an idea.

"Doctor, who can I talk to about putting the baby up for adoption?" he said.

**xXx **

Christine's eyes slowly opened and she felt her whole body was sore and she had an IV stuck in her hand. She looked up at the bag and noticed that a new IV had been put in right before she woke up.

She looked at the window that was covered with curtains to keep the sun out.

She remembered what happened and how she got there. She went into labor at the park and called an ambulance. When she got to the hospital she had already had a couple contractions and she was very scared of being alone. After a few minutes her doctor came in and inspected her. She then told Christine that she was going to have to have a C-section for the safety of the baby. Christine just wanted her baby to be alright, but she didn't see anything, she just nodded. When she was brought into the operating room a male doctor came in and gave her a sedative.

Everything after that was blurred and went to black. Now she is awake and looking for her baby. She turned to look at the other side of the room, seeing if her baby was in a carrier next to her. When she looked over her father was sitting in a chair with sad eyes.

"Daddy?" Christine asked with a groggy voice.

"Baby? You're awake. How are you feeling?" he said as he stood and walked closer to take her hand in his.

"I'm ok. Where's my baby?" she said still looking around the room anxiously.

Paul's eyes suddenly got even sadder and he remembered what Raoul had said when he got back from the bathroom.

"_Sorry I took so long. I couldn't find the bathroom. Have you heard from the doctor?"_

"_Yes. The doctor came a few minutes after you left." Raoul said. He even put a gloomy face on to make Paul believe his upset feelings. "Christine is fine, she is resting. There was a problem during the C-section that resulted in the baby not making it."_

_Paul stared in complete shock, almost too saddened to think. "Does Christine know?"_

"_Not yet. They are waiting for her to wake up." Raoul said. He still had a few things to do so he said that he was going to the bathroom and Paul sat down in the waiting room. _

"Dad, where is my baby?" Christine asked getting more concerned by the second. Her father didn't answer her the first time she asked and he got lost in his head.

Paul woke from his memory to look at Christine, regretting telling her the truth, but knowing she needed to know. "Christine… the baby didn't… she didn't…."

"Dad, what are you trying to say?" Christine asked, her heart pounding like crazy, feeling a heart attack coming on.

"The baby… didn't make it. I am so sorry, baby." Paul said holding her hand tighter.

Christine lay there completely still and she didn't want to register the fact that her father had told her. She wanted to believe she was still asleep and that everything was going to be okay. She tried pinching herself to wake up and she cried from the realization that this was the real world.

Her baby was gone. The only thing that linked her to Erik is gone. Everything is gone._ 'How can my life get any worse?' _Christine thought with tears rolling down her cheeks constantly.

"Christine?"

Christine looked up to see another person walk into the room. Her eyes were covered in tears so everything was blurry. All she knew was the man in the room was tall wearing a blue shirt and jeans, and he had blonde hair and tanned skin.

She wiped her eyes clean and looked again to see a clear Raoul standing next to her father and looking down at her with a reassuring smile.

**xXx **

The tinkling and lulling sound came from a music box in the middle of the room. The room was filled with little bassinettes with newborn babies either sleeping or crying for attention. All the babies were covered in warm white blankets with ducky's and rainbows on them. The babies either had baby blue or baby pink knitted hats on their heads.

Nurses walked around the room to assist the babies that were crying. One nurse took a baby from the crib and rocked it in her arms. Another picked up a crying baby and brought it over to the changing table to put a new diaper on. One woman picked up a little baby boy and took it from the room to bring it to his mother for a feeding.

The crib that sat closest to the music box, playing a beautiful lullaby on repeat, had a two week old baby girl lying in it with her big blue eyes wide open in concentration. The baby's arms came up and started to wave in the air, composing the music that played around her.

The fingers wiggled in the warm room and the arms went back and forth like a conductor does to instruct an orchestra. When the music stopped, the arms continued in the air as if she was continuing to instruct the song.

The nurse came over to see if the baby girl needed something and when the baby kept waving her arms in the air the woman thought she wanted to be picked up. The nurse held her in her arms and rocked her back and forth.

"Don't worry, baby Lyla. Your parents don't know what they are missing. An adoptive couple will be lucky to have you." The nurse said.

**xXx**

**Please Rate and Comment! You know how much I love each one of my reader's thoughts.**


	6. Free

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I only own some of the minor characters and some ideas.**

**A/N: The beginning of this chapter is the last we see of Christine shortly after the "death" of her child. We have officially made it to the point where Lyla is twelve years old and there are no more flashbacks or flash-forwards. **

**Also sorry for the short chapter! I really wanted to get a chapter up and I have been really busy. Working, family time and using my new kindle my mom bought me on my birthday. I hope you enjoy this chapter and next up is another chapter of Infinite Love.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 6: Free

**xXx**

Nothing was the same. Christine couldn't go back to her dad's place because everything was tainted with things to prepare for the baby. There was a crib set up in the spare room with the bed Christine slept in, there were baby clothes and diapers, everything you could think of that you receive at a baby shower.

Christine remembered that baby shower like it was yesterday and wished she could go back to those good days. Meg, from her band, came, friends from high school, friends from her morning job at Starbucks, and cousins and aunts. Everything was covered in baby stuff, banners saying 'Congratulations' and 'You're Having a Girl' written on them, pink balloons everywhere and ribbons. There was a mountain of presents in the center of the room and everyone either sat or stood around it talking.

The presents were filled with baby girl dresses and pajamas, diapers, a diaper genie, changing table, crib, rocking chair, stroller and more necessities. Everything was beautiful and Christine was looking forward to being a parent more and more.

She couldn't go back to that apartment that held all those gifts and the memory of that day. She couldn't go back to seeing herself holding a newborn baby in her arms while sitting in the wicker rocking chair she received. She would end up curling into a ball on the floor and crying her heart out. She couldn't let her emotions take over and turn her into a depressed ball of tears.

She decided to go back to her apartment where all those memories didn't exist, but when she got there she couldn't stand the reminder of Erik and the baby that she had lost, the baby that was half his. She would either live with the reminder of the baby or the reminder of Erik. She couldn't handle it and like moments before when she promised herself she wouldn't cry she did.

She collapsed on the floor in the middle of her living room and cried. She had held in all her emotions when she was around her father because she hated to see him cry and she hated it when he became her personal slave and tried to make everything better. Nothing would be the same. She couldn't stay in her apartment and she couldn't go back to her father's place. She didn't want to stay with any of her friends because they would try to comfort her and she didn't want that. The only thing she could think to do was leave.

Her apartment door opened and she heard shuffling feet. She looked up to see Raoul walking in with a huge pile of mail. He placed it on her kitchen table and when he saw her he stopped dead in his tracks and looked guilty.

"What are you doing here Raoul?" she said as she stood and wiped the tears off her face.

"I was just… bringing you your mail? I didn't know you would be here." He said as he walked slowly closer.

When he looked like he was about to envelop her in a comforting hug, Christine put her hand out to stop him. "Get out."

"But Christine…"

"I said get out. I don't want you near me." She said as she walked past him and opened the door to show him the way out.

"You need to understand the reasons behind my actions."

"I already know your reasons Raoul. You have been using me this whole time, all the while fucking other girls behind my back."

His eyes widened at that declaration and he was about to ask how she knew about that.

"Of course I know about those little affairs. It was your idea to keep separate apartments until the marriage, you haven't exactly been subtle about your intentions with girls while I am standing on that stage singing my heart out so you can make money and pay off your stupid debts."

"Christine."

"And the one time that I have an affair behind your back, is the one time I realize I am not in love with you. I was in love with him." She said pointing to the distance as if Erik was standing next to her. "But you couldn't let me be happy for once and you got rid of him. Now I will never find him and it is all because of you."

"I'm sorry…" Raoul started to say half-heartedly.

"Don't even try to apologize; it is too late for that. I am done with you. Get out." She said holding the door open wider.

Raoul looked around the room for a way to continue to stay with her and when he didn't find anything he slowly walked towards her and when he reached her he had one more idea up his sleeve. Raoul started leaning down to give her a kiss, a powerful one that would change her mind. Instead he got a swift, hard, bruising slap in the face. Christine pulled her hand away from his face and shoved him out the door and closed it.

Her sadness from before was replaced with anger towards Raoul. She quickly went to her room and searched through her closet, bathroom and living room for everything that was Raoul's and pictures of them together. There was so little that was left at her place that it took less than a minute. She went to her bedroom window and opened it, looking down at the sidewalk she saw Raoul walking head down towards a cab.

"Raoul." She screamed so he could hear her.

He looked up and saw her. She could see a large red mark on his cheek where she had slapped him. A smile lit his face thinking she was going to invite him back up. Instead she grabbed the laundry basket she put all his clothes, pictures, CD's, DVD's and bathroom accessories into and dumped it all out. Everything fell to the ground at his feet and on his head and with a satisfied look on her face she ducked her head back in and closed the window.

With that she went into her kitchen and saw the mail he had left for her. There were bills, credit card applications, newspapers and a fat envelope. She threw the credit card applications in the trash and searched through her bills, they were too expensive for an apartment that hadn't been used in months. She tossed the old newspapers, since she probably already heard about all the stories in them. She kept today's paper to read later and looked at the tan envelope.

The return address was her recording studio and there were stamped words all over it, 'FRAGILE' and 'PRIORITY MAIL'. She opened it and grabbed what lay inside. She held a brand new CD case with her face plastered on the cover with her hair tumbling in all directions and her face covered in make up with two trails of mascara coming down her cheeks from crying. Her first album.

She flipped it over to see the five songs that graced her first album. All five of them were about Raoul and the hated relationship she was stuck in. Raoul was too stupid to realize the meaning of the words, he only cared that they were catchy tunes. The first song was the one she sang the night she met Erik, the one entitled Numb. The other four were called, Escape, Constant Storm, I Hate Everything About You and The End. She pulled out the booklet inside the case and looked through to see the lyrics to all the songs and pictures of a depressed or angry girl sitting in the corner of an empty room or screaming her heart out in the middle of meadow with a bolt of lightning coming down behind her.

On the first page was a note from herself to her future fans telling them that it was her first album and her heart was in each word. She wrote the note shortly after she found out what Raoul did and how he ruined her life, how he got rid of Erik. She was so angry that she wrote all the songs in her anger. She even mentioned his name in the letter, one of her songs even had his name in it.

She worked on the five songs with her manager right before she realized she had a baby on the way and the first few months she was pregnant. That is why two of the songs are about her dreams of leaving Raoul and escaping the relationship she was in. The other three songs were of her hatred towards him and the cheating, lying bastard that he was.

She put the CD into her player connected to her TV and she blasted it around the apartment. She retrieved the newspaper and sat on the couch to read the news. She wanted to get her mind off other things. When she flipped the page and saw the apartment listings an idea sprang to her mind.

She couldn't stay in New York or else she would never be able to move on. Soon everything would remind her of Erik or the baby she lost. She grabbed a red pen off the coffee table and started looking through the different apartments for Rent outside of New York City. She found a couple of perfect apartments, but they were either too much or they were still in New York City.

Instead she grabbed her computer and went onto Craigslist to find a bigger selection of apartments. When she reached the page that had a list of locations to choose from around the country, she started to think on a bigger scale. She wanted to get away and wanted to start a new life, leave the past behind. She randomly picked a city and started searching, hoping she would find something far away.

Subconsciously she started singing to the music she was playing and her heart was starting to break more and more. She realized she was singing when her voice cracked and she felt tightness in her chest. She couldn't sing. She lost the emotional power to sing.

**xXx**

_Present Day_

Children were heard playing outside in the playground or in the main room, but one little girl as always stayed by herself in her bedroom. The room had four bunk beds in it and hers was closest to the window. She stared out at the beautiful sunny day, waiting for her opportunity to come.

"Lyla, there you are." Grace squealed as she ran into the room and jumped on the bed next to her.

Grace was the only friend Lyla had here and she enjoyed her company. She was a little red headed girl with glasses and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt.

"Hi Grace." Lyla said back.

"Why aren't you outside playing? What are you thinking about?" Grace asked seeing the faraway expression written all over her face.

"My parents." Lyla said, still staring out the window.

"I think about my parents sometimes too. I always hope they will come find me and take me home with them. I wonder if they will ever find me." Grace said as she stared out the window with Lyla.

"I'm not going to risk waiting for them. I believe they know I exist and I am going to go out there and find them." Lyla said, finally looking Grace in the eyes.

"Good idea." Grace said jokingly. "Come on, dinner is almost served and I want to get a pile of mashed potatoes before they are all gone." She said jumping up and skipping out of the room.

Lyla followed slowly and with each step she promised herself she wasn't just saying it, she was going to go out there and find her mom and dad.

When the dark sky came over and the moon and stars were all that lit the area, the whole residential home was silenced with sleeping children and counselors. Lyla stood in the driveway of the place she called her home for most of her life. She wore a t-shirt with a large hoody over it and a pair of jeans with boots. She had the hood of her sweatshirt over her head to keep warm and she looked down the long street thinking about where it would lead.

With one sure step she was on her way to finding her family.

**xXx**

**Again sorry for the short chapter! I was trying to get the point across that it was too painful for Christine to sing and she couldn't handle the feelings that came when she was singing. She still has the voice to sing, but she can't stomach singing anymore. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**


	7. Lives Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I only own some of the characters and some ideas for the plot.**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait again. I was really enthralled in writing Infinite Love and then I got an idea to write another story. I hope you guys will check it out. I will write more about it at the end of this chapter. Here is chapter 7 of Music Within. Present Day, Christine is 34, Erik is 45, and Lyla is 12.**

**Music Within**

Chapter 7: Lives Now

_New York City_

Lyla woke to the sound of cars beeping and screeching brakes. She opened her eyes and brought her head out from under the tarp covering her. She slept under the large blue cover in the back of a pickup truck that she saw at a rest stop on the highway. The whole back was filled with luggage and large boxes so she was unnoticeable to the driver. It had been early in the morning, a little past midnight, when she reached the rest stop and found the empty car in the parking lot.

Now she looked out at the very sunny day and realized the car wasn't moving. She lifted her head to look in the window that showed the front seats. No one was sitting inside and the car was parked parallel on the side of the street with traffic making all the noise that woke her.

She pushed the tarp off of her and climbed out of the back of the truck. She stood on the sidewalk and watched as men and woman walked by without looking at her and paying all their attention on their phones and trying to get to their destination.

Now that she was here in the big city she didn't know what to do. She knew she needed to find her parents, but she didn't know where to start. She decided to just start walking.

She walked down the sidewalk surrounded by tall adults wearing designer clothes or business suits and walked in no real destination. She believed if she was meant to find her family she would be lead there.

With all the noises and chaos of the city she could hear the music being constructed. Everything came together in a beautiful melody.

A person's cell phone beeps and a car started beeping from annoyance. The beeping of the crosswalk would go off to allow the pedestrians to cross the street.

The people walking down the street were walking with a shuffling of their feet or stomping them in their jogging. Woman wearing high heeled shoes made clicking noises as they walked.

She turned the corner to see a large drill making a hole in the ground and the scraping of a shovel picking up loose dry cement and piling it up to the side.

Loose trash tumbled in the streets from the wind like tumbleweeds. A man threw a can of soda and missed the trash can to make it smash on the cement. The whistling of the wind and the scuffling of trash against the ground hinted in the air.

Another noise floated in the air from an unknown location and Lyla found herself walking in the direction it was coming from. She must have had very great hearing because all the other noises around her were much more ear piercing and the glorious noise of a guitar was playing pretty far away.

She went to cross the street and almost got hit by a Toyota Corolla with a man driving that suddenly yelled out his window for her to get out of the way. She shakily kept crossing and avoided getting struck by another impatient driver and when she got to the other side she could hear the music clearer.

She walked past apartment buildings and businesses until she reached a less crowded area. She found herself standing in Washington Square Park. The smooth ground and structures that towered over everyone were most prominent and there was a fountain in the middle spraying water higher than everyone's heads. The music seemed to come closer and she turned to see a boy standing on a platform with a guitar and he was singing along with the tune of his guitar. He seemed to be trying to get people's attention while everyone kept walking and avoided the boy.

She stared at him from a few feet away and admired his physical appearance. He had lightly tanned skin, probably from being outside all day on such a sunny summer day. He had clear blue eyes and jet black hair that stuck up in a greasy do. He looked to be tall and was wearing worn jeans with big holes that showed his knees. He was also wearing a t- shirt that looked a little baggy and seemed to have a logo on it; it was so dirty that she couldn't understand what it said. His fingers were long and didn't look to be taken care of. His nails were cut really short, as if he bit them a lot and he had dirt covering them. Even though his hands looked messy they played the guitar very well.

Lyla was suddenly standing right in front of him and he still played on as if she wasn't there. She looked down to see the guitar case was open by his feet and there were coins and a few dollar bills sitting inside.

"Don't get any ideas. This is my money, I earned it." the kid said as he kneeled down and started gathering the money up and placing it in his pockets.

"I wasn't going to steal your money." She said shyly. "You play beautifully."

The boy looked at her for a moment and started to feel guilty for jumping to conclusions. "Sorry. You wouldn't know how many teenagers come by and snag my money when I'm not looking." He said as he jumped down from his platform and placed the guitar in its empty case.

"I'm Ryan." He said as he locked the case and flung it over his shoulder.

"Lyla." She said back.

"Pretty name. How old are you?" he asked curiously.

"Twelve." She said wondering why he would ask that.

"Where's your mom?" he asked thinking a twelve year old girl shouldn't be wondering New York City by herself.

"I don't know." She said with a shrug.

"Great." He said sarcastically. "Let me show you to the police station and they can get you back home." He said as he started walking away in the direction of the police.

"I don't want to go back there." She said thinking her home was that children's home she had walked all night away from.

"Then I don't know what to say." He said as he walked in a different direction to his home.

He headed out of the park and down the street to get to his place. He could hear small footsteps behind him and he turned around to see Lyla following him.

"Why are you following me?" he asked nervously.

"I don't have anywhere to go." She said back.

"Am I supposed to take care of you now?" he asked sarcastically. He knew he was too young to have to take care of someone else and he didn't have enough money to support himself let alone a girl.

She shrugged and stood waiting for him to think of something. After only a minute the kid sighed and outstretched his hand. "Come on. I'll show you who takes care of me."

**xXx**

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Christine answered the phone on the fifth ring as she raced into her apartment and put all her bags down. When she pressed the speaker button she said, "Hello?" out of breath.

"Hi baby. Did you just get in?" a male voice asked.

"Hi, Danny. Yeah, I just got out of work. How are you?" she said as she grabbed her bags full of clothes off the floor where they fell and unpacked them.

"I'm good. I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner tonight?" he asked hopeful.

"I am really busy tonight. I have to prepare for the presentation to my boss tomorrow and I still have a lot of work to do." She said.

"How about I bring over some ingredients and make you dinner? I know that if I don't make you food you won't eat." He said on the other line.

"That's true. How can I say know to your cooking?" she said thinking of all the times he made her dinner and each time the meal made her mouth water.

"You can't." he said with a laugh. "I will be right over."

Before she could object he hung up and was probably already preparing to pack up the food. Christine brought the clothes she bought into her bedroom and placed them on her bed. She had bought ten different outfits and each one was filled with colors. She hoped her boss would be proud. She was an assistant for a clothes designer and for her job she had to inspire her to draw new things.

When she first got the job she thought she would be running around, answering phones, getting coffee, and running errands, but her boss was more interested in getting inspired. Christine has been getting paid to shop for ten years. She has loved her job but she believes it is a dead end job. Her boss will never want to lose her for an assistant.

She was trying on all the outfits to make sure every piece looked good together and see what other pieces will go with what to help her boss get interested in the outfit. Once she had half of the outfits tried on and set as a definite show to her boss there was a knock at the door.

She knew it was Danny so she yelled across the apartment for him to enter. She was currently standing in her bra and panties and didn't want to go answer the door. When she heard him come in she said, "I will be right out."

She put on one of the dresses she bought and added black high heel boots and a chain necklace. She walked out of her bedroom to see Danny standing in the kitchen unloading a bag full of food. He looked up and stared at the very revealing short dress and sexy long boots that reached her knees. He smiled delightfully and said,

"You didn't have to dress up for dinner. It is nothing special. Just steak and steamed vegetables." He said sarcastically.

"I had to do some shopping before returning home. Melinda wants ten outfits by tomorrow to show to her and I only had a few hours to get it done. What do you think?" she said as she spun around slowly to show every angle of the dress.

"I think…" he walked out of the kitchen and over to her standing form "you look very sexy in that outfit."

She giggled softly and said, "I knew you would say that."

He kissed her on the lips passionately and she kissed back with a smile on her face. When they pulled away he walked over to the kitchen to continue cooking and she went into her room to continue trying on the other four outfits. She knew she didn't have to worry about the attires looking good on the models as she was model material. She was skinny and tall and could be a model if she wanted to be. All the sizes she was trying on now would fit a model perfectly.

Melinda was going to give her ten models to work with and she was going to have them wear the outfits she had laid out and they would do a small runway in her office.

When she finally finished getting all the outfits picked out she put the different finished designs into separate bags so she wouldn't forget what goes with which. When she had that finished she put them in the corner and went into her walk in closet to get a comfortable outfit to wear for the night.

She picked a pair of lime green pants and a large t-shirt that belonged to Danny and her slippers. She walked out of her bedroom to see the table was cleared of mail and other dishes and now had a lace tablecloth and a candle sitting in the middle. There were two dish settings across from each other and a bottle of wine sitting in a bucket of ice. She looked like she was much underdressed for a nice restaurant setting.

Before she could turn back to her room and change into something else her boyfriend came out from behind the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room and saw her. He laughed at the change of outfit and outstretched his hand in invitation.

Christine walked across the living room and took his hand. He kissed her on her palm and led her to the table. He sat her in the seat and went over to the stove and brought over two plates and put them down on the already existing place settings.

"Steak, medium well, steamed broccoli and homemade mashed potatoes." He said as he placed the mouthwatering dish in front of her.

"This looks amazing." She said admiring the dish as if it was a tall naked man standing in front of her.

He pulled the bottle of wine out of the ice and showed the label to her.

"Oh my God. You got my favorite red wine, Cabernet Franc. This is so rare, how did you find it?" she asked with wide eyes.

"That's not important. Did you really think I wouldn't do something special on our one year anniversary?" he said.

Her eyes widened again in surprise. She put her head in her hands in embarrassment. "I completely forgot. I am so sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Christine. You can make it up to me later." He said with a wink.

She laughed at the hint he was making and kissed him softly. She grabbed the steak sauce from the middle of the table and poured it onto the meat before taking a bite. Her eyes closed slowly to savor the taste. It was so good that it melted in her mouth.

The dinner was amazing, the man was amazing and her job was amazing. After a little over ten years she wished she could forget completely, but the memory of her daughter she never laid eyes on still screamed in her mind. The thought that a man wearing a mask was somewhere in the world and hated her for lying was painful as well. It was a throbbing pain to know that she couldn't sing or play an instrument without thinking of them and being hurt by the memory. She hadn't touched music in over ten years and she never thought she would be able to again.

**xXx **

_Los Angeles, California _

Erik sat in his office staring at his computer screen. He was watching a video online of a girl sitting at a piano and playing a version of Enchanted by Taylor Swift. She had to be in her early twenties and her hair was cut short to her shoulders and it was died an unnatural red. She was wearing a green sundress that completely clashed with her hair and her skin was an olive color.

Erik watched as the girl sang her heart out and when she finished playing she stood and gave a bow.

Erik clicked out of the video and brushed it off as mediocre. The girl didn't have the voice to last in this business, maybe after a lot more practice and determination she could get somewhere. He wasn't going to be signed by him though.

Erik turned his desk chair so he was staring at the wall and looked at the diploma from Juilliard he had hanging on the wall. After leaving New York he didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do, he just knew he had to get out of New York City. He had gone to Maine to visit his brother and stayed with him for a while. When he almost ran out of the money he earned from his Juilliard concerts he left and went to Los Angeles.

Since then he has worked as a music agent in one of the most popular music industries in the world. For eight years he has lived in this office trying to find a voice that was good enough to be signed. He gave a few young people their dreams, but most of the people he saw were brushed away like dust. Ever since hearing Christine, no voice was better, no voice could top hers.

A couple years back he went to New York for business and while he was there he stopped at the bridge where he had met her. He caressed the brick structure thinking he could touch Christine one last time. But of course she was long gone and she wasn't coming back. She is probably happily married to that blond guy and probably has children. He should hate her for lying and making him believe she cared, but the truth is he never hated her, he was just angry with the situation. If he saw her one last time he would go to her and hold her in his arms for an eternity.

Erik was broken from his thoughts as his speaker beeped announcing his assistant needed to speak.

"Yes, Allie." He said as he held down the button to allow her to hear him.

"Sir, you have a phone call on line two. She says her name is Stephanie Emer." The new assistant said nervously.

"Thank you." He said. He was surprised to be hearing from her as he hadn't spoken to her since he left New York thirteen years ago. He picked up the phone and pressed the button to connect with line two and said, "Hello?"

"Hello Erik. How are you?" It definitely sounded like Stephanie with her squeaky voice.

"I am fine. How are you?" Erik said back as he looked through his papers for something to do, he didn't want to get stuck in his thoughts for another half hour when she hung up.

"I'm doing alright. I am actually in Los Angeles for business and I was wondering if you could take an hour from your busy schedule and have lunch with me."

Erik looked up at the clock and saw the time, realizing he had skipped out on lunch. "It is three in the afternoon?"

"Oh. I keep getting stuck in Eastern Time. How about dinner?"

"Well I am really busy today. How about breakfast tomorrow morning?" he said as he looked at his schedule and noticed he didn't have any important meetings booked for the morning until ten.

"That sounds great. How about eight?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me. Where are you staying I will pick you up?"

"I am staying at the Hilton."

"Alright I will pick you up at eight. See you soon." He said as a goodbye.

"See you later." She said back before hanging up.

Erik put his phone down and added his breakfast plans to his schedule. He wondered what had made her think to call him up and meet. He knew it couldn't be just because she was in Los Angeles. If she had come for business she would be too busy to meet personally. She must have something important on her mind to ask him or else she wouldn't have called. He wondered what it could be and too soon he was lost in his thoughts again.

**xXx**

Stephanie had hung up the phone and smiled. She was happy to be seeing Erik tomorrow morning and she couldn't wait to ask him what she hoped he would say yes to.

**xXx**

**So that's where Erik has been! I couldn't decide what to have his occupation be, I didn't want him to desert music all together so he became a well-known music agent. **

**So the story I have uploaded two chapters for is a Titanic love story for Erik and Christine. I wanted to have it up on the 100****th**** year anniversary of the sinking and I am proud that I got that accomplished. I hope you will check it out and please review it also.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**


	8. Opportunities

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes.**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 8: Opportunities

**xXx**

_Los Angeles, California _

Erik parallel parked his Jaguar XJ in front of the Hilton hotel and a valet came over to take the keys of a one hundred and fifteen thousand dollar car. Erik quickly got out and handed the keys over saying, "Don't go too far. I will be right back." He said as he walked around his car and into the hotel.

He went into the lobby and admired the interior. The floor was tiled with an amazing granite design and there were square shaped arm chairs with stripes or checkers on them. There were also tables everywhere, some in the corner, others sitting against the wall and another right in front of the reception desk. All of them held bouquets of flowers or a fancy lamp. Paintings hung on the wall from the size of a person's head to the size of a wall itself.

Erik walked past it all and came up to the high desk.

"How are you today Sir? What can I help you with today?" the woman said with a large smile and a cheery voice.

"I am here for Stephanie Emer." He said to the woman and watched as she started typing into the computer.

"Erik?" he heard from behind him.

He turned to face a woman with hair that brushed her shoulders and fell in soft waves. She had blonde hair with strands of grey hidden inside and she had makeup on her face to cover the wrinkles. She was wearing a black business suit with a silk turquoise blouse underneath. She was wearing two inch heels and still was shorter than him.

"Stephanie?" he asked, squinting his eyes to try and see the woman he used to know underneath.

Stephanie came forward and enveloped him in a hug. "It is so great to see you Erik. I have missed you."

When she pulled away he smiled and said, "I almost didn't recognize you with all that make up and change in hair color. My aunt should never look that young."

"I hate aging. The more years go by the more makeup I put on and more frequent I have to go to the salon." She said with a shake of her head.

"Well you look beautiful. Where would you like to go for breakfast?" he asked as he took her hand and walked her out of the lobby.

"Wherever you choose will be fine. You are the one who lives here after all." She said with a laugh.

"I will take you to the Dialog Café. I stop there for breakfast a lot. It is really delicious." He said as he saw the valet come forward with his keys.

They both got in the car and Erik started driving down the street towards their destination. He could see that Stephanie was admiring the interior of his car and all the cool gadgets he had in his console.

"You have been doing very well for yourself." She said gratefully.

"Yes. I moved here ten years ago and ever since I have been very successful."

"What have you been doing? I haven't heard from you since you left thirteen years ago."

"I have become a very well-known and sought after music agent. I wanted to stay in the field of music, but I just couldn't play." He said sadly. "I have been looking for future stars and making them famous. That is my life now."

"Why can't you play?" she asked curiously.

He thought of Christine and how lonely he has been since meeting her. She was the reason he couldn't play. After the performance at the String Quartet and hearing her voice in his head he hadn't been the same. It was as if she stole his gift along with his heart. "It's a long story that I don't want to get into right now."

"Alright." She said as she sat back.

It became silent for the rest of the ride, both in their own thoughts and when they reached the popular café they got out and walked inside. There was a line of a few people waiting for their drinks and when they got up to the register Stephanie ordered a chai latte and he ordered a black coffee. They both got pastries and went to sit outside. They found a table for two right outside under the shade of the warm spring day and started enjoying their breakfast.

"So why did you want to meet with me?" Erik asked curiously.

She looked up from her scone surprised and swallowed what was in her mouth. "I can't come to Los Angeles and look up my only nephew and have a chat of how life has been since 1999?" she asked.

"We both know that isn't the main reason for your visit." He said seeing right through her.

She put her breakfast down on the plate and took a sip of her tea before looking into his eyes and saying, "Juilliard is having another concert, The Central Park Philharmonic, and everyone at the board wants you to perform with your violin."

Erik looked shocked and couldn't believe what he just heard. "They want me to perform?" he asked.

"Yes. They want you back, even after thirteen years, they want to hear your sound." She said nervously.

He held his head down and thought about it. He hasn't played his violin in over ten years and anytime he picked it up he was reminded of the one rejection he could never let go. He was hurt beyond any words, so hurt he couldn't play the one instrument he had been playing all his life and studied with, got through school with. He had turned away from playing and even hidden his violin away in its case in the back of his closet. _'How could they expect me to play?'_

"I can't. That is behind me now. I can't play." He said as he finally looked up and told her his decision.

"A man once told me that everything can be perfect with the right instrument before them. It has to be the perfect strings or the perfect keys to make something special. Do you remember who told me that?" she said knowing.

He took in a deep breath and rested his eyes on the table again. "Me." He said remembering telling her that years ago before Christine came into his life. Everything was changed now.

"Yes, you. I believe you can play again. Whatever happened to you that made you lose that gift, you need to let it go. I have never seen you so miserable. I remember always seeing you with an instrument in your hand. Every time you had a huge smile on your face. Please, at least think about it." she said hoping.

He looked up at her again and said, "Fine. I will think about it." he said, actually meaning it.

Her words had hit a nerve and he was about to agree outright. He missed playing every day and he had to fight with himself to not grab his violin and try. He would always open his case and look at the instrument or caress its strings, but he never took it out. It would always lie in its velvet case.

"Good. If you decide to come back, here is my new number and we will make arrangements." She said as she pulled a business card out of her purse and handed it to him.

He took it and read her name and her office and personal number that were on it. He looked back up at her and said, "Thank you."

**xXx**

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Christine woke up late as her alarm clock somehow came unplugged and she had a huge presentation to do for her boss. She started rushing around her apartment finding her outfit and showering, making sure she was clean. She applied her makeup and put her hair up in a tight ponytail. She put on a heart shaped necklace and a small blue dress with stiletto heels.

When she was ready to go she grabbed her purse and all the different outfits for her presentation and kissed her sleeping boyfriend on the cheek before rushing out the door.

She stood on the sidewalk trying to hail a taxi for over ten minutes before one finally stopped. When they reached her destination she threw the money at the driver and jumped out. She ran into the building and took the elevator to the thirtieth floor where Melinda's office was and got out. She got to her desk right outside the office and put all her things down.

She really hoped she wouldn't get into trouble for being late, but with Melinda she knew she would get a slap on the wrist. Just as she was about to sit down and check the emails the office door burst open and Melinda walked out to talk to her.

"Where have you been? You are over twenty minutes late?" she said with her hands on her hips in frustration.

"I'm sorry Melinda. My alarm clock didn't go off this morning…" she said.

"I don't want to hear the excuses." She said. "Now I have ten models in my office, do you have the outfits?"

"Yes. They are right here." She said as she picked them up from under her desk and walked behind her into her office.

The models were all standing in their underwear against the wall waiting for the clothes they were going to show off. Christine put a bag in front of each one and told them to change into them behind the curtain. When they all disappeared Christine turned back to Melinda.

"Depending on how this goes, I have something to tell you." Melinda said as she sat behind her desk with that strict pursing of her lips and the small glasses perched on her nose.

Christine became nervous. _'Was she going to get fired if the clothes weren't perfect? Was she going to demote me to another person's assistant?' _She had been working so hard and she would hate to be turned down from what she loves to do.

"Are you girls ready?" Melinda asked across the room for the models to hear.

"Yes Melinda." One model said for them all.

"Great, let's begin." She said as she pulled out her sketch pad and looked up at the first model and her outfit.

"This is a royal blue mini skirt dress, sleeveless with a high neck line and beading at the waist. Accessories include knee high leather black boots with three inch heels and a chain necklace that hangs down to her belly button." Christine said to describe the outfit and remembering how Danny had admired it last night.

The model walked over to the side and another one came out from behind the curtain.

"This is another short dress, very flowy at the bottom with a black belt and large buckle around the waist. It is a summer yellow color with tiny blue flowers arranged on it. There is a cocoa brown leather jacket over it for style and same color blue flip flops on the feet."

The next model came out wearing Christine's favorite attire.

"This is a halter top dress with a low neck line and a skirt that flows all the way down past the ankles with summery blue high heel shoes. The color is a mixture of rainbow colors that shine in the sun and mix beautifully like a Monet painting. There is a lovely charm bracelet on the wrist with different dreamy characters on them."

She turned to see that Melinda was sketching rapidly and smiled. She was happy with the selection.

The next model walked out and Christine continued.

"This is a pair of tight fitting jeans, dark fabric with a silky purple blouse tucked into the waist. There is a white jacket over it that ends at the waist and has sleeves pulled up to the elbows. She is also wearing closed toe high heel shoes that cover the bottom of the skinny jeans. She is wearing small buds in her ears and a medal hair band."

"Now this is a black pant suit for woman. Long pants with two inch closed toe heels and a green silk blouse with a matching black suit coat over it. This woman has a long necklace and a belt at the hips to hold the pants up." She said about the next outfit.

Another outfit came out and she went on.

"This is a long white skirt that reaches her ankles and is thin lace with a white mini skirt underneath that is shown. She is wearing a nice fitting spaghetti strap shirt the color of coral. She is wearing white flip flops. A perfect beach outfit."

"This next one is meant for a cold day." She said as another model came out. "This woman is wearing a pair of thick dark jeans tight fitting with suede boots enveloping the bottom of the pants. She is also wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt with a poncho sweater covering her."

"This is different. I got a bathing suit in the summer section at the local Kohl's. It is half bikini, half one piece. It covers everything a bikini covers and a medal loop connects the pieces together and stretches them to meet in a very fashionable bathing suit."

The next outfit came out and she admired the biker chick look.

"This is more of a casual look. These are a pair of leather tight pants with spiked belt and a loose fitting white shirt with a Bob Marley logo on the front. There is a black thick bracelet on her wrist and a choker necklace on her neck. She is wearing dark boots on her feet that are bulky."

The last outfit came out and Christine was proud to say it came from her closet. She had checked last night and noticed two of the outfits were too similar and she grabbed an outfit that came from her collection. It was a dress she bought for a work party a couple years back.

"This is a long dress with a v neck that reaches down in between her breasts and the skirt is flowing and layered in different colors. There are white open toe sandals on her feet and a large diamond ring on her right hand that matches the colors of the skirt."

When all the models were lined up against the wall, Christine stood there waiting for Melinda to say something or look up from her sketch pad. She kept sketching for a few minutes and without looking up she said,

"Models, you can change back to your street clothes."

All the models went behind the curtains and took the attires off and put them in the bag before putting their clothes on. They came back into view and Christine was still standing in the same place.

"Please leave." Melinda said to the models.

They left and closed the door behind them. Christine was becoming much more nervous and she was visibly shaking. Luckily she didn't need to wait long as Melinda put her pencil down and motioned to the arm chair silently for Christine to sit across from her.

Christine quickly sat across from her and waited for what she had to say.

"Christine, I would hate to lose you as an assistant. You are a wonderful worker and you do everything I ask you to and you do it well." She said. She pulled something out of her front desk drawer and placed it on top of her desk.

Christine saw what they were and was slightly embarrassed. They were sketches that she had made of her ideas of fashion. She would dream of beautiful dresses and amazing ideas for outfits and she would sketch them. She must have left them on the top of her desk last night; she was so busy that she had forgotten to put them away. Melinda had found them.

"I found these on your desk and before you got in today I went to my boss and showed them to her." She said as she shuffled through the selection. "She agrees with me that they are something new and beautiful that need to be brought out and not left hidden away in your desk drawer."

Christine looked up surprised, thinking she was going to be fired, but now she knew that wasn't the case.

"Christine this company has many branches around the country and the two main locations are in New York City and Los Angeles. I don't want to lose you as an assistant, but with this work you have no reason to sit behind a desk and do my bidding."

Christine couldn't breathe._ 'What was she saying? Was I getting promoted?'_

"Now Christine, my boss and I would like to give you a special job. You will be given your own group of workers and you will have your own designs made. You will have my job."

"What?" Christine asked completely awed.

"Well you won't have my job because I am here. You will have my job in either Los Angeles or New York City. Both of those branches are waiting for a new designer and we believe you will be perfect for it. Which location would you like to relocate to?"

Christine sat there, eyes wide and mouth gaped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and with the serious look on Melinda's face and the fact that she was always serious and never joking Christine knew this was for real. They were giving her a choice to pick where she would live for now on, Los Angeles or New York City? She definitely didn't want to move across the country to Los Angeles that was too far. New York City was another disappointing place to move to, but it was closer and it had already been over ten years. Christine still wasn't sure. She definitely wanted the job, but she didn't want to move to either of the locations. She had to figure it out.

"Can I get back to you on that?" she said nervously, hoping this wasn't a one chance proposal.

"Of course, but I will need an answer by tomorrow morning." Melinda said as she looked back down at the sketches and handed it back to her with a smile. "Congratulations."

**xXx**

_New York City_

Ryan was very curious about Lyla. As he walked down the busy streets of New York City he watched Lyla and saw that she was looking around at everything as if it was the first time. She looked at the tall buildings and the dirty trash on the street and all the people walking by as if she had never seen them before.

He kept walking straight and in the corner of his eye he could see her walking next to him. He suddenly heard among all the traffic noises a small, light humming sound. He looked towards Lyla to see her lips were pressed closed as she was humming a tune.

He couldn't recognize the tune and just thought it was a song he had never heard before, maybe a lullaby.

"What are you humming?" he asked, tired of trying to guess what it was.

"It's a song in my head." She said. She looked up to see he was watching her and he scoffed, thinking it was crazy. "I know you might think I'm crazy, but all my life I have had this melody running through my head and now that I am in New York City, everything around me melts together to make that music." She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and dreamily looked off into the distance. "I believe that I am getting closer to them and if I can make the music, they will hear it and find me."

Ryan had stopped on the street with her and now looked at her still body and her eyes staring off into space, he realized she must be screwed up in the head.

"I thought you didn't want to go home." He said thinking of her reaction to him bringing her to the police station.

"I said I didn't want to go back to my home. Home doesn't include my parents." She said as they continued walking.

"Where is your home?" he asked curiously.

"It's called the Glendale Home for Children. Over a hundred children live there, some abandoned, others never adopted."

"What were you?" he asked getting interested.

"I've been told that I was put up for adoption shortly after I was born and put into the adoption agency. After a few years, no one wanted me and I was relocated to the home in Glendale."

After a moment Ryan responded, "If you were put up for adoption, why do you want to find your parents?"

"I believe they made a mistake. I believe they are looking for me and they want me. I am going to find them and we are going to become a family."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"I'm not, but I just have to believe. Why else would I have the same song in my head? I think music brought my parents together and I believe music will bring me to them."

"At least you have something to believe in." he said. "My dad was addicted to drugs and was dragging my mom down with him. After a while they started getting abusive towards me and human services came in to take me away. I went through foster home after foster home and eventually I just ran away."

"So you understand what it's like to live in someone's care that isn't your parents?" she said understanding.

"Yes. It isn't pleasant. I came here to New York City and lived like a homeless person. Any money I got was used to buy food and I would sleep under newspapers in an alley. One day I was walking by a music store and they were having a huge sale. They had instruments outside on the sidewalk with signs saying twenty five percent off or fifty percent off. I looked around and the street was empty and there was no business men watching so I snagged Marissa here." He said as he tapped the case on his back.

"Marissa?" Lyla asked curiously.

"Yeah, I named her after the first person that left a five dollar bill in my case as I played. I taught myself how to play and when I thought I was good enough I went to play on the street hoping to get money. That's when he found me." He said with a tortured look on his face.

"Who found you?" she asked.

"The guy who has been taking care of me. He gave me a roof over my head, no matter how many holes it held. He takes care of many kids like me, left to fend for themselves and have a gift for music. I have been with him for five years."

"Who is him?" she was becoming very curious.

"He likes to go by Genius because he thinks he knows everything about music. He has taught me everything after I taught myself to play the guitar. But his real name is Raoul Chaney."

**xXx **

**Dum Dum Dum! Sorry for the cliffy. **

**Do you think Erik is going to take the offer? Do you think Christine will choose Los Angeles or New York City? What do you think Raoul is like now? **

**Please Rate and Comment!**


	9. Genius

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners and I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, again. So much going on it is crazy!**

**Yeah, so Ryan and Lyla are going to go through the story calling Raoul Genius, but everyone else is calling him Raoul. Hope that doesn't make things confusing. Ok on with the reading…**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 9: Genius

**xXx**

_New York City_

"So who is this Genius?" Lyla asked out of curiosity. She was wondering if he was a nice guy.

"Well everything he told me basically says he has lived in New York all his life and everything went downhill when his parents died. He had an amazing girlfriend, but then she cheated on him and left him for another man. She took all his money and earnings with her, making him destitute. Ever since he has been trying to earn money, but no musical business will take him because of what his girlfriend said about him in her debut album."

"Wow. He must be heartbroken." Lyla thought out loud. She felt bad for this man.

"Yeah. Some nights I can still hear him saying her name in his sleep."

"So what does he do now?" Lyla asked.

Ryan lifted his guitar case to her eye level and said, "He takes in many children and we all play different instruments and play around the city and collect money from New Yorkers. At the end of the day we return home and pass in our money to him."

"Do you not get any of the money?" she asked.

"All of our money goes to Genius and he uses some of it for food."

They had reached an alley away from traffic and walked through it. After turning a corner they went up a steep, rattling staircase. When they got to the top there was a blue door with graffiti written on it. Ryan did a rhythmic patterned knock on the door and a small red haired freckled face boy opened the door slowly and carefully. He saw Ryan and opened the door wider.

"Come in." Ryan said to Lyla before walking through and moving aside the sheet that covered the entry way.

Lyla followed close behind afraid she would get lost in the dark mess. She looked forward and realized she was up high looking down at seats and a stage. Everything was dusty and old; she didn't know what to think. She followed Ryan through the place and went down a flight of stairs.

As they walked she looked around her and saw children loitering everywhere. There were boys passing a football down near the stage. There was a young girl trying to sleep on an old arm chair. There were many children playing instruments around the space. There was a medium size piano on the stage where a boy was playing quietly. She could hear horns and trumpets playing somewhere in the depths of the halls.

"Where are we?" Lyla asked. She knew it was his home, but it didn't look like a house.

"An old rundown opera house, another one was rebuilt down the street and this one was abandoned. Genius has been using this as his home and our home."

They walked all the way down to the stage and Ryan started talking to a group of boys. Lyla felt forgotten for a moment before Ryan turned to her and introduced her to all of them.

Lyla came closer and was about to politely say it was nice to meet them all when a door closed very hard in the distance.

She jumped in surprise and everyone turned to look up at the balcony where a tall man stood. Lyla could see from a distance that he had short blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in days. His skin was unclean and his eyes looked sad. He was wearing an old t-shirt that had ACDC logo on it and a jean jacket over it. He was wearing a different color pair of jeans and worker boots.

The man walked down the steps and watched as all the children stopped what they were doing and stared at him in surprise or fear. When he reached the stage and came up the smaller steps to the front he walked over to Ryan.

When Ryan turned to face him for the first time his smile fell and his eyes widened.

"Genius, what are you doing here? You never show up this early." Lyla could hear shaking in his voice as if he was worried for his existence.

"This is my home, isn't it? Did I not ask you to watch everyone and make sure everything is alright? Why is everyone here now? They should be out there getting me money from innocent walkers." Raoul said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Genius. I just got back from work and they were all here."

"Well they better have gotten me enough money or you are going back out there and getting the rest." He said before taking a baseball cap out of his back jeans pocket and flipping it upside down. "Pockets." He yelled loud enough for everyone to hear.

Lyla watched as all the children rushed down to the stage from where she could see them and from farther places within the opera house. She counted and there were at least twenty of them. She continued to watch as Genius walked around all the children with his hat and watched as all of them put the money they had into it. Lyla wasn't trusting of this man and she didn't know what to say or do. He was stealing their earned money.

A couple of the kids put a handful of coins in the hat and each time Genius sighed loudly and moved on with a role of his eyes. When a couple children including Ryan put a few dollar bills and even larger bills into his hat his eyes brightened and a small smirk came to his face. One word was written all over his face: greed.

She stood somewhat out of the group and when Genius was done gathering money he looked up and saw her. He looked like he didn't recognize her and he was curious about her.

"Who is she?" he asked.

Ryan spoke up and said, "She is a girl that found me and I brought her here."

Genius grabbed him by the collar of his coat and hissed into his face saying, "She found you. What if she is with the police? Did you ever think that we could be found out?"

"I'm not with the police." Lyla spoke up, fearing for Ryan's life.

Genius turned his head slowly and looked at her angrily. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

"I'm twelve." She said derisively.

That had Ryan smiling and most of the other children giggling softly. The only one who didn't enjoy that remark was Genius.

He stood straight and walked over to her. After a moment of looking her up and down he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I followed the music Ryan was playing and when I found him he brought me here."

"But why are you here?"

"I'm following the music." She said seriously.

After a moment of considering it he laughed out right in her face and turned to the rest of his group who were all standing there shocked. Most of them had never heard him laugh before.

Genius grabbed her hands and caressed her fingertips roughly before shoving them back down and saying, "You have never played a note in your life."

"I want to learn." She said, she had to find her parents and music was going to help her with that.

"Well you aren't going to learn from me. Ryan get her out of here before tomorrow." He said as he turned away and walked off the stage.

**xXx**

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Christine sat on her bed debating her decision. She had two choices: New York or Los Angeles. She couldn't decide. There were upsides and downsides to each destination.

New York was her home. If she went back there it would be easier for her to settle down. She still knew her way around the city like the back of her hand and she had her family there. Her father still lived in the same apartment and all her friends were still there. It seemed like the best place to go, but she feared that all the memories would haunt her again and they would still be there waiting for her.

Los Angeles was new. She had never been there and secretly she wanted to go there, not to live but to go on vacation or a shopping spree. The only reason she didn't want to take the job there was because it was too far. She never wanted to live on the other side of the country, she loved the east.

The only thing she could think to do was get a second opinion. She grabbed her phone and hit speed dial two and waited for Danny to pick up his phone. When the ringing stopped and she was greeted by his voice she sighed,

"Hey this is Danny, leave a message."

After the beep Christine nervously talked to the machine. "Hey Danny it's me. Call me when you get this. It is important." She put the phone down and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

She wanted to get the nervous sweat off of her body and the shaky feeling of having a decision by tomorrow for her boss. She washed her hair and massaged her scalp to relieve the headache growing. When she was done she got out and wrapped a towel around her before heading into the bedroom. She heard a knock on the door and quickly grabbed a large t-shirt and boxer shorts to put on and went to answer the door.

Danny was at the door and he looked worried. "Hey, your message made me worried. I came straight over. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come in, I just wanted your help with something." she told him giving him a kiss on the lips and moving over to the couch.

He sat down next to her still a bit nervous, but more curious now.

Christine didn't know how to start this conversation. She worried about what would happen to her relationship and her whole life she had built here in Boston. Would Danny not want to move with her? Would they end up breaking up? She didn't know those answers so she went along with her reason for asking him to come.

"Melinda gave me a promotion. A really high promotion." She said breathless. She looked at Danny and saw he was smiling widely.

"That's wonderful, Christine. You are moving up, that's amazing." He said proudly.

"Yeah, I am no longer an assistant. I'm a designer." She said happily.

"A designer? Wow, what a step up." He said surprised. "Does that mean you have Melinda's job?"

"Kind of. I have the same position that Melinda has, but somewhere else." She said.

"What do you mean?" he asked a bit confused.

"She offered me a job… in either New York City or Los Angeles." She bowed her head so she wouldn't have to see Danny's reaction. She feared his anger.

"Did you make a choice yet?" he asked unfazed.

She looked up to see that he was not angry or upset at all. "No, but I need an answer by tomorrow morning."

"So… New York or Los Angeles?" he said after a moment of silence.

"I have no idea what to do. I want this job so much, but I am afraid of losing you. I don't want to lose you."

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks and then Danny's fingers wiping them away. "Who said you would lose me?"

She looked up at him shocked and her tears stopped falling. "What?"

"Whichever place you choose, I will follow." He said softly, in a calming tone.

"You are coming with me?" she said as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

"If you want me to." He said suddenly thinking maybe she didn't want him to come.

"Of course I want you to." She said as she jumped into his arms for a strong hug.

They kissed passionately and before it could get any deeper Christine pulled back. "What about your restaurant? Someone needs to be running it."

"My brother will take over. He has always wanted to run his own place. I will build another one in Los Angeles or New York, whichever you choose."

"We are really doing this? Is this really happening?" she asked with a huge smile on her face that showed off her pearly teeth.

"Yes. Now you need to decide where you want to go, so that we can make arrangements."

"Los Angeles. Let's go out west, where the sun is always out and the depressing rain never falls. With you by my side, I have no reason to fear a new environment."

"Los Angeles it is." He said with a smile and a tighter hold on her hand.

**xXx **

_Los Angeles, California_

When Erik left work that day he went straight home. Everything around him that he recognized and saw every day was a blur or a random shape in the back of his mind. He only had one direction, to go home.

Stephanie had asked him to perform in New York City over two weeks ago and he still hadn't given an answer. He didn't know what to do and he needed to think quickly or she would give up on him.

He wanted to play very badly. He missed music, he missed the feeling of strings against his finger tips and he missed holding the bow in his hand and gracefully brushing it against the strings to make noise. He even missed pressing his chin to the soft, coolness of the chinrest.

When he made it home he had no thoughts of making dinner or doing anything productive. He went into his large bedroom and sat on the soft comforter that covered his bed. After staring into no space for what felt like hours he stood and walked over to his large dresser. He kneeled in front of it and pulled a key out of his pocket. It was a small skeleton key that fit in the bottom dresser drawer. He slowly turned the key and heard the click.

He pulled the drawer open and stared at his violin case. The hard black leather of the outside taunted him and begged him to open it. He pulled the case out and turned to rest it on his bed. With the violin on his bed and himself standing before it, he slowly reached for the lock that kept it closed.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before unhinging the case and watching as it popped open. He lifted the top and stared at the beautiful instrument he hadn't touched in ages. The mahogany wood and small strings that adorned it were graceful and clean as if he had polished it every day.

In over ten years Erik finally grabbed hold of the neck of the violin and brought it out of its casing. He stared at the beauty of the violin in his hand again and he felt more complete than he ever had since leaving New York. His hand was complete again.

He went to reach for the bow that still sat in its velvety place, but when he looked down he saw the image of Christine. He had completely forgotten that he read the article in the New York Times about her debut album and tore it out of the paper and placed it with his violin, like a shrine. He never listened to the CD as it would be too painful. He didn't want to hear her voice and hear the love she had for her fiancé and the loathing she had for the one man she had cheated with.

He looked down at the old piece of paper and saw the picture printed on it of her debut album cover. He saw her face up close with her soft locks cascading around her face and the mascara and eye liner dripping down her cheeks mixed with tears. It was a confusing cover as she shouldn't be crying, but smiling at all the things she wanted and got, a handsome man by her side and a wonderful career ahead of her.

In the music business he was in he had never heard about her or seen new material with her name or face. That confused him as well; with the voice she had she should be more famous than Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. She should be at the top of the music list.

With curiosity now taking hold of his mind he took hold of his laptop that sat on his nightstand and went on the internet in search of Christine. He knew he shouldn't be getting back into this mess, but after seeing her face again he couldn't hold back.

After a few moments of searching he found who her music agent was and looked up his phone number. When he found it he looked at the time and saw it was almost eight o'clock. It wasn't too late for a phone call, so he dialed the number and waited for the gentleman to answer.

**xXx**

**Sorry everyone for such a long wait and such a short chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you review. That always makes me happy!**


	10. Moving Forward and Backwards

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am borrowing some of the ideas for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I finally got inspiration to write a chapter for this story after watching August Rush. This moving thing is a pain in my ass. Luckily I thought to keep a few of my favorite movies out along with my DVD player so I can watch them in the hotel. August Rush, Phantom of the Opera and Titanic included. **

**I also have an idea for the next story I want to upload. Phantom of the Opera/Hunger Games mix! What do you think? PM or leave a question or comment in the review if you are curious about it.**

**Music Within**

Chapter 10: Moving Forward and Backwards

**xXx**

_New York City_

Lyla watched as all the children, robbed of their earnings, dispersed and went back to what they were doing. Genius had disappeared behind a curtain and shut everyone out for the night. The last thing he had said was directed at Ryan.

"_Get her out of here before tomorrow." _

Lyla knew that she was going to be homeless again and she looked at Ryan sadly.

"I'm sorry Lyla. I will let you stay the night, but in the early morning I have to get you out of here." He said sadly before walking away.

She knew that it wouldn't be so easy to have a roof over her head so she resigned to staying the night and leaving in the morning before Genius woke up.

The sun that peeked through the broken windows and pieces of wood covering them was slowly dimming. Not long after all the children found their beds and curled up for the night Lyla walked off the stage and wandered around curiously.

Not long after she started wandering she found where Ryan sleeps and watched silently as his eyes relaxed and he slept like a baby. She kneeled down to his face and admired his blonde hair and unshaven chin for a minute and realized he was sleeping in the clothes he was wearing when she first saw him. He had no pajamas and the weather became chilly at night so he couldn't sleep in just his underwear. The dirt and germs of the day followed him into his sleep and made him look very unhealthy. All he had was a ragged old fleece blanket that barely covered his long body.

She stood straight and started walking around the large space and halls where more children were sleeping on chairs and couches and even on the hardwood floors. They slept with only a thin small rag for a blanket and some didn't even get something to wrap around themselves. She started to wonder how all these children got to this place. _'Are they orphans just like me? Were they kidnapped by Genius?' _She couldn't help but think of that man as being so horrible. These children were not being taken care of and she didn't understand why any of them would stay with someone like Genius.

She kept walking until she reached a closed door. It was the first door that she had seen that wasn't made from a sheet or beads hanging from the ceiling. The door seemed to be one of the only original architectural designs from when it was a running opera house. The designs in the wood were roses on vines and little birds flying through the nature. It was very beautiful. She went to reach for the knob and turned it slowly fearing that it would make a screeching noise and wake everyone up.

When she got the door open enough for her to poke her head through she found Genius sleeping on a large bed covered with a large quilt and pillows surrounding him. He was sleeping soundly and comfortably while all the children were sleeping on hard ground and rotted old couches. She became angry that he would be so selfish when he could probably fit ten of the little kids on the bed with him and still have room. She didn't want to stand there and watch him any longer so she backed out of the room and closed the door.

She kept wandering until she reached the stage again. She stood in the middle of the stage and stared out at all the empty seats, some still in place and other scattered and broken off. The red velvet of the seats were covered in dust and smelled rotted like old fruit and cheese. She dreamed of being on this stage with a guitar or piano and playing the melody in her head for her parents and having them find her. She had to learn how to play first or she would never be able to do it.

She looked over and saw Ryan's guitar case sitting on the ground where he had been standing earlier. He must have forgotten he left it there. She walked over to it and unhinged the case to let the guitar free. She lifted it by the neck and placed it on the ground in front of her. She caressed the strings and got the feel of them. She touched the hollow wood and felt its smoothness. It was a beautiful instrument and she wanted nothing more than to be able to play it. From the corner of her eye she saw a small inscription in the edge of the neck. She peered at it closer and noticed it was initials. C.D. The owner of the guitar must have put his or her initials on it as a possession. She knew it wasn't Genius's because his name started with an R. _'Whose is it?' _She started to caress the letters as if they were a symbol for something.

She lifted the guitar off the ground and put the strap around her shoulders like she saw Ryan wearing it earlier. She had the guitar propped in front of her like a musician and felt the strings again. She softly ran her fingers down the keys to make the noise and marveled in the music.

She found a wire over to the left and it was attached to a large box speaker. She picked up the end of the wire and noticed it must go into something and she found an identical hole in the end of the guitar. She placed it inside the hole and turned to the speaker. There was a power button on the back and she pressed it making the guitar have an electric sound.

She looked around making sure no one woke from that screeching sound it made. When she was satisfied that she hadn't disturbed anyone's sleep she placed her fingers over some of the keys on the neck and brought her thumb down on the strings making a noise similar to what Ryan was doing with it. It didn't sound as good as how Ryan played and she almost put the guitar away, thinking she couldn't do it.

Lyla felt a presence behind her and before she could turn to see who she had disturbed she saw arms wrap around her and cover her hands where they were frozen in place over the strings. The hands were over hers, but she couldn't feel them. The arms should have been brushing over hers, but she didn't feel those either. As she looked at the pale arms and gentle, long fingers she noticed that they were faded, like a spirits, like someone who isn't actually there.

She turned to see who the spirit was, but its face was smothered in light and all she could see was the arms and long cascading brown curls falling around where the face should be. Lyla was frightened, but also intrigued. _'Who is this figure supposed to be? My mother?' _Suddenly she could feel the spirit's hands on hers and she looked back down to where they were showing her how to play the guitar.

After only a few minutes Lyla had the beginning chords of a song played and she knew how to make the music come alive in the strings. She was so wrapped up in her playing that she didn't even realize her mother's spirit was gone and left her alone. Lyla turned to look over her shoulder and saw nothing, only darkness.

When she turned back to the guitar she had tears in her eyes. That wasn't the first thing she noticed though. She looked up and saw Ryan and Genius standing in front of her looking down at the guitar in her hands. A few other children stood behind them all looking amazed. Ryan's face showed astonishment and his eyes were wide open and his mouth hung open as if he was trying to say something.

Genius' face was different. His lips were lifted at the ends in a smile and his eyes twinkled with some unknown revelation. _'Oh, she'll do.' _

**xXx **

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Christine's eyes slowly opened and she felt a feeling she had been trying to hold down. Loneliness. She knew she wasn't alone, but the feeling still lingered. She felt even more alone because of the dream she had just woken from. It felt so real, and she could feel the other person's skin near the end.

She dreamt she was playing her guitar. The guitar she had when she was in her band a decade ago. Her fingers remembered the strings and her mind remembered the feeling of playing. The only difference with her playing was she was teaching someone how. She was teaching an anonymous young girl how to play. She couldn't see the girls face because it had a glowing light around it shielding her sight. All she could see was the small frame and old clothes that hung off of her body. She couldn't tell what color her hair was or any features of her face. It was all hidden with light.

Christine climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. She had packed everything, but every morning she still went in search of her coffee maker. She stood in front of the empty cabinet willing her mind to conjure up a steaming cup of coffee. Her mind didn't do it, but Danny knocked on the door and let himself in with a hot cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

"Thought you might like something to wake you up?" he said handing it to her. "Hazelnut, just the way you like it."

"You are a life saver." She said taking the Styrofoam cup and taking a sip. She physically relaxed and smiled.

"How are you this morning?" he asked looking at her raggedy night clothes and her hair in a messy ponytail.

After taking another long sip she nodded and looked up at him saying, "Really good thank you."

"Are you ready to go? The movers will be here in ten minutes." He said looking around the room at everything packed.

"Yeah. Let me just go and change, I will be right out." She said taking her coffee with her into the bedroom.

She went over to her empty dresser and grabbed her folded outfit that sat on top. She changed into her pale blue kami and jeans and put her dirty night clothes into her carry-on bag. She grabbed her sneakers and put them on. After fixing her hair and washing her teeth and face she stuck her toothbrush into the carry-on bag as well and headed into the living room.

Danny had let the movers in and they were already grabbing boxes and taking them down the hall. Christine started taking boxes from her bedroom and putting them into the living room for easier access. By the time the movers came back she had all her boxes from her bathroom and her bedroom into the living room. She started grabbing all the boxes from the kitchen and piling them up in the doorway.

She had three hulking movers back and forth with her boxes and she started cleaning up the empty walls and space so that her landlord wouldn't get mad with the mess. After only an hour the movers had gotten all the boxes and almost half of the furniture.

Christine was still going around and wiping down counters and cleaning the windows. She even went through every room and vacuumed the floor.

Faster than she thought the whole apartment was empty and all her belongings and Danny's were in the giant U-Haul truck downstairs waiting. Danny fished through his jeans pocket and found his key to the apartment and placed it on the kitchen counter. She found her purse and grabbed her keys. She took the key to this apartment off and placed it next to his. She looked around at the empty apartment and for the first time she dreaded leaving it.

She moved here to escape her life in New York and the memories that haunted her. She succeeded after starting her life and moving on with a new job and new apartment and new friends. Now she was leaving the home she had made for the past decade and going to a new place.

"Christine, you ready?" Danny said breaking through her thoughts.

She turned to look at him in the doorway and smiled. At least she wasn't leaving everything behind. She walked forward and took his hand before walking out in the hall and looking back at her apartment for the last time.

They were driving across the country in the U-Haul and they had to start early to get to Los Angeles by Sunday morning, in time for her to start work on that Monday. She knew she would be exhausted, but by then end of it she would have an amazing job and an amazing apartment with her amazing boyfriend.

**xXx **

_Los Angeles_

Erik has his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the top of his desk. He's rubbing his eyes to try and keep them open. He couldn't get a minute of sleep after his phone call to a man named Frank Nelson. The man had been curious about his call and set up a meeting for today at noon.

Frank works for another music company across town and he insisted that they meet at his office. It is now eleven in the morning and Erik still hadn't gotten any work done. All he could think about was finding out how Christine has been living. '_Is she still with that blonde guy? Does she still regret what we did? Does she have a family now?' _His thought kept going through all the questions he wanted answers to and hoped that this man would know.

Without doing a scrap of paperwork or research on a beginning singer he could possibly take under his wing it was time to go visit Mr. Nelson. He grabbed his suit coat off the back of his chair and put it on before grabbing his keys and wallet and walking out of his office.

"Samantha I am going to my meeting. I will be back soon." He said to his assistant who just nodded and continued working on her computer.

When he got down to the lobby his car was already ready for him and he jumped in without hesitation. Without paying attention to the traffic he took his car down the street, faster than the speed limit and headed in the direction of his personal meeting.

When he arrived there he parked on one of the side streets and walked the rest of the way. When he got to the lobby the receptionist looked up at his mask and immediately recognized him.

"I am here to see Frank Nelson." He said with no emotion.

"Yes sir. He is on the thirteenth floor. The receptionist up there will be with you." She said with a bright professional smile.

"Thank you." He said, walking towards the elevators and catching one before the doors closed.

He hit the button for the thirteenth floor and waited for the elevator to slide up. He was sharing a ride with a couple men in business suits and a young woman who looked to be the next pop star. She had blonde hair falling down her back and she was wearing pink tight clothes and high heel sandals.

The elevator doors opened and Erik exited to be shown into another large sitting area and two desks with blonde woman sitting doing work.

"I am here to see Frank Nelson. My name is Erik Daines." He said as he approached the closest desk.

"Yes sir. He is in a meeting right now, but he should be out shortly. I will let him know you have arrived. Would you like water or coffee while you wait?" the polite assistant asked.

"No thank you." He said as he turned and sat in one of the black leather chairs.

He took out his blackberry and started making some notes for work to keep him occupied and from pacing across the room like a caged lion. Shortly after he sat down the blonde woman that helped him came over.

"Sir, Mr. Nelson is out of his meeting. Let me show you to his office." She said with that large smile.

He stood and placed his phone in his pocket as he followed. After walking down a hall and entering one of the doors they came into a large office that would put his to shame. There was a large desk in front of a wall of glass showing the LA skyline. You could see the Hollywood sign from here. There was an arrangement of plush chairs and a sectional. There was even a TV in the corner. The walls were plain white and there were a few large posters of some successful artists. _'Did this guy sign them?' _Erik thought.

Before he could admire more the sound of a toilet flush came from an adjoined room and Frank walked out drying his hands with a hand towel.

"You must be Erik Daines. So good to finally meet you." He said coming forward to shake his hand.

"Thank you for inviting me." He said back, shaking on the inside.

"We are all set Kaitlin. Thank you." He said to the blonde girl that guided Erik to the room.

She walked out of the office silently and closed the door.

"So I was very surprised and curious about that call last night. You seemed shaken over the phone." He said sitting behind his desk and gesturing for Erik to take a seat.

"Yes well I have a somewhat backstory with Christine Darden who I found out you signed a contract with a little over ten years ago."

"Ah yes. Christine, the voice of an angel. Her emotions could be heard in her words more clearly than I could have ever heard in a woman. I have worked in this business for twenty years now and I still have not heard a voice as pure as hers."

Erik thought back to the one time he heard her sing and it was a beautiful song. She truly had the voice of an angel and he could hear the sadness in her voice as she sang. It was the most wonderful singing and the main reason he stuck with music for his career. Hoping one day she would return to his life.

"How do you know her?" Frank asked.

Erik didn't know how to answer that question so he tried to be as vague as possible. "We met only once and after that we never saw each other again. She has definitely changed my life in that one time we met. That's the reason I am here. I want to know if she is alright."

"Well I haven't talked to her since she walked out on her life in New York and started fresh. That had to have been thirteen years ago." He said back.

"She left New York? Why?" Something about that made Erik's blood boil and he didn't know why. Maybe because it would be harder to find her.

"Her boyfriend at the time was upset with her for something and she was on her last straw with him. From what I remember she cheated on him and he found out. He didn't want to lose her so he got rid of the competition." He said using air quotes for the word competition. "When she found out that he got rid of the other guy she got really angry and kicked him out. Apparently she loved the other guy or something." He said taking a sip of his Starbucks coffee not knowing that he changed Erik's life.

"She… she never hated the guy? She never regretted what she did?" he asked stuttering over his words. He had never had so much trouble talking before. He was always so in control and proper.

'_She doesn't hate me? She never regretted our time together? She wanted to see me that night?'_

"No she actually wanted to leave her boyfriend for this stranger. She told me that she felt happier with the other guy in that one night than she ever felt in the two years she had been with her boyfriend."

'_Oh my God. Seriously? I made her happy. She wanted to be with me? I knew I should have tried to find Christine after that lunatic showed up and told me she didn't want to see me again.'_

Anger was starting to build up inside of him and the thought that Christine wanted him all this time kept him under control.

"A couple months went by and she never broke up with her boyfriend. He didn't tell her that he chased away the other guy until she told him about it. They were planning on getting married so they were pretty serious. Then they had a blowout."

"What happened?" Erik's head shot up, curious as ever.

"Well she found out she was pregnant and they both knew it wasn't his. She got pregnant from the other guy, the guy she cheated on her boyfriend with."

Erik was breathless. His mind went blank and he could only hear one word running through his head. "Pregnant."

"After that they were truly over and Christine did everything she could to keep the baby and she even worked harder on finding the man that she had made a baby with. After a while she found out that he left and didn't tell anyone. She lost all hope. After a few more months I told her to take a break and go on an early maternity leave. She was more than eager to take a break and I believe it was because she wanted to start getting ready to raise the baby."

"She… she is… raising the baby… all by herself?" he asked stumbling over his words again.

"Actually the labor didn't go as planned and she had to go into an emergency C-Section. When she woke up her ex-boyfriend and father were there and they told her that the baby didn't make it."

Erik's heart broke into two pieces and if he wasn't sitting down he probably would have fallen over. He could feel tears building in his eyes and he didn't want this stranger to see him cry. The only person that ever saw him cry was his mother and that was when he was a young boy who would come home every day because the other children were making fun of him.

"Are you alright sir? Do you need something to drink?" Frank asked finally realizing the man before him was distraught.

"No. Actually my lunch break is over so I need to get back to my office. Thank you for talking with me and sharing all the information you have." Erik said quickly standing and shaking his hand before trying to make a quick exit.

"Mr. Daines that isn't the end of the story."

Erik turned around to face him and saw the man standing behind his desk waiting for him to return.

Erik came back and stood in front of Frank determined. "What is the ending to the story?"

"I was on a business trip in New York a couple years ago and it was a frustrating business to be done. After one of my meetings I hit the bar across from the hotel I was staying in and ran into Raoul Chaney. Raoul is Christine's ex-boyfriend, the one that lied to her. We had a couple drinks and he was already pretty hammered. We started reminiscing and the subject turned to Christine."

He stopped to stare at Erik who was growing livid with the suspense of the story.

"He told me that he didn't want the baby to ruin Christine's life. He was hoping to start a life with her again and possibly get her back into the music business. So he came to the hospital while she was in labor and while she was under he put the baby up for adoption and falsely stated that he was the father so he had say in it. He signed his own name and Christine's signature. When the paperwork was filed he told Christine the baby was dead instead of the truth."

"The bastard put her baby up for adoption without her permission. She believes her baby is dead?" Erik said seething and breathing through his teeth.

"To this day I believe she thinks her baby is dead. I can't be sure. After all this time I believe she has moved on and has forgotten. That is the only reason I haven't gone to Boston to tell her. It is none of my business and she probably doesn't want to dig up old memories."

"Boston?" Erik asked.

"Yes. After she lost the baby she left New York and moved to Boston. She has been living there ever since."

Erik was having information overload and everything was more than he could have hoped for in this meeting. Without another word he stomped out of the office and down to the lobby. Everything was a haze until he got into his car.

He started driving down the street. There was no way he was going back to work today; he would never get anything done. He took his phone out of his pocket and called his office.

"Erik Daines office." Samantha's voice rang out on the second ring.

"Samantha, it's Erik. I need you to cancel all my meetings for the next couple days. Clear my schedule." He said as he drove to his apartment.

"Alright sir. Anything else." She asked keeping all questions bottled up inside.

"Yes see if you can get me a ticket to Boston as soon as possible." He said firmly.

**xXx **

**Sorry crappy chapter. The next chapter will be better I promise. The story is just getting started. Stick with me here! Please Review!**


	11. Arrivals and Departures

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I only own some of the characters and some ideas.**

**A/N: Hello! Got inspired to write this chapter and I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Also, if you haven't already checked out a new story called Facade by IceQueen13345 please do! It is well written and an excellent read! Please check it out, you won't regret it!**

**I finally got moved out of the hotel I have been in for the last 3 months and I am in the house getting everything settled so sorry it took so long for an update. This is one of the busiest times right now. At least you are all here still reading so thank you for that!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 11: Arrivals and Departures

**xXx**

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Erik had just gotten off a five hour flight and now he had to deal with the massive traffic issue at Boston's Logan Airport. First it was the slow walkers and the crowd of people departing and arriving at the airport. Then the line for baggage checks and metal screenings was infuriating. Once he had gotten out of the airport he couldn't find a single cab that wasn't used and the amount of cars trying to escape the departure loop was almost a safety hazard. Erik looked around for a cab and was faced with a giant board showing an outline of subway and train routes and a schedule underneath. Erik had never taken a source of public transportation like that and he refused to start now.

He took out his cell phone and quickly dialed a directory to get a cab service that would pick him up. As he waited he called the directory again for information on Christine Darden. When he was given her phone number he quickly dialed the number and was given an automated message telling him that the phone number he had used was out of service.

Before Erik threw his phone against the used gum infested wall out of frustration he looked online for options on getting addresses from phone numbers and was given different websites that did it for free. He clicked on the first website and typed in the phone number he was given. After only seconds he had an address and he copied it into his phone.

Erik had to wait for forty-five minutes for the cab to show up and he got into the back of the white Toyota Camry that smelled of body odor and smoke. He was just thankful the man driving could understand English.

After giving the driver the address he had they were waiting through the congested traffic. Erik just wished he had the power to make everyone get out of the way so he could see the woman of his dreams quicker. He was shaking from nervousness and he could just imagine her smile and the fall of her brown hair. He couldn't wait to hold her again. He worried how she would react to having a child she thought she lost. He just hoped that she wasn't married or in a serious relationship. That would ruin him.

After finally getting through to the streets of Boston and arriving on a one-way street with cars parked on the side of the road and brick buildings that stood tall on both sides. Erik looked at his surroundings and was broken from his thoughts when the driver said, "Thirty-five bucks."

Erik rifled through his wallet and found a fifty dollar bill and handed it to the man.

"I don't have change for this." The man said with round eyes.

"Keep the change." Erik said before opening the door and getting out.

The driver thanked him, but Erik didn't hear him. He just kept his eyes on the building in front of him that held the address of Christine Darden. When he walked forward onto the sidewalk he felt a pull to the building and knew he was close to seeing her.

He went up to the door and was faced with a list of occupants and a button next to each. He quickly found her name among them and with a deep breath he pressed down on the dirty white button. After waiting a minute he buzzed again and was given no answer. Instead of giving up he looked through the names and found a Harriet Thompson/Landlady. Erik hit that button hoping the woman would let him in so he could wait inside.

"Hello?" A willowing voice asked through the speaker.

"Hi, my name is Erik Daines. I am looking for Christine Darden, but she isn't answering. Would you let me in so I can wait for her?" he asked politely, trying to hold back the annoyance in his voice. _'Everything that could go wrong has.'_

"Hold on a moment." The landlady said before releasing the speaker.

Erik was stuck standing there on the doorstep waiting to be let in, but Harriet hadn't sent the door to open. When Erik was about to give up and wait on the street the door opened and a hunched over old woman with white hair clung to the doorknob to keep herself from falling.

"Come in sir." She said in that familiar voice from the speaker.

Erik walked through the threshold and found himself in a small space with a dark rug for the flooring and one wall with different metal mailboxes. There was a bulletin board on one wall with ads and help wanted signs tacked to it. When he turned there was a stairwell leading up to the next floor and next to that was a door he assumed was a maintenance closet.

After he had taken a look around at the shabby surroundings he turned to the old woman he assumed was the landlady. She was the typical old woman that suffered from muscular dystrophy and her age showed. She was only wearing a flowing nightgown that was thin from old age. She was wearing pink slippers on her feet and her hair was up in a tight bun. She had wrinkles all over her face and the skin just sagged. She looked ready for bed even though it was only six o'clock at night.

"You are looking for Christine Darden?" she asked.

"Yes. I tried calling her on her phone and it said it was disconnected. I came here and she isn't answering the buzzer." He said.

"Well that is because she doesn't live here anymore." The woman said.

Erik's whole demeanor tightened in anger and he wanted to throw something. _'How could she not be here? Why did she have to move? Now it is going to take so much longer to find her.' _"Are you sure?" he said through clenched teeth.

"I may be old, but I don't have Alzheimer's. She moved out only yesterday. I already miss her. Such a sweet thing."

"She left only yesterday? Do you know where she was going?" Erik asked, with a bit of faith that he could find her.

"No she never told me where she was going. She just told me that she got promoted at her job and she had to change locations." She said after thinking back to that conversation Christine had with her about her reasons for leaving.

"Do you know where she works? Or worked?" Erik asked thinking about how far this trail will go.

"She worked for a Melinda Kim, the fashion designer. Maybe she knows where she went."

"Thank you. You have been very helpful." Erik said as he brushed by her to leave the apartment.

"Is she in trouble or something?" Harriet said worriedly. She suddenly realized she had given up a lot of information and she hoped she didn't get Christine in trouble.

"No. I am just an old acquaintance. Thank you again for the help." He said before walking down the street in no sure direction.

Erik headed down to the main road and grabbed a cab as a woman was getting out. He didn't want to have to wait around again to call for a cab and he didn't have the patience. He quickly checked the address of Melinda Kim's office on his phone and gave the driver what he found.

Soon, very soon, he would have answers.

**xXx**

_New York City_

As Lyla sat on the floor with the guitar still in her lap she looked up at all the children and Genius looking at her as if she was a pot of gold lying at their feet. All she had on her mind was the spirit that had just shown her how to play the guitar effortlessly.

It was a complete mystery as to who that woman was. _'Was it the owner of this guitar?' _she thought as she stared down at the instrument in her arms. _'Was it my mother?' _she hoped. She had no idea and no way of finding out.

"How did you learn to play like that?" Genius asked. Lyla looked up at him and his eyes were widened and he was pointing at the guitar in question.

If she mentioned the spirit that just came to her and guided her through the process of playing the first instrument she ever touched she would be laughed at. No one would believe her. Instead of saying an outright lie she just shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her pale hands.

"You play like a professional. You must play for me." Genius spoke after a long silence.

Lyla looked right up into his eyes and instead of feeling joy at a compliment she felt distress and anger towards Raoul for demanding her to do something for him.

"What do you mean 'I must play for you'?" Lyla asked seething.

"I mean to say that you would be a great asset to this…" he gestured with his hands to all the children and the instruments all over the floors "… company."

Lyla understood. Genius wanted her talent so that he could get lots of money from New Yorkers that happened to stop for some music. He thought of her as a bank and was ready to just use her to fill his pockets. Lyla did not come to New York to become a poor child that earned money, only to have it ripped away. She came to New York to find her parents and that is exactly what she planned to do.

"I can't. I will not be used for money. I came here for a reason and I want that to be achieved." Lyla said with stubbornness.

Lyla immediately stood holding the guitar, by the neck, in her hand. She walked forward to Ryan and handed the beautiful instrument to him directly. She walked past Genius and all the other children, hoping their lives would change, and reached the stairs that would lead her up to the door.

"Wait." She turned around to see Genius coming after her.

Fear radiated inside of her and she didn't want him to hold her against her will so she stepped back threatening to bolt. Genius immediately stopped advancing and held his hands up in surrender.

"Please. Maybe I can help you with your purpose for coming if you help me with this. All you have to do is play the guitar and collect money…" he started to make a deal.

"Collect money so that you can take it from me and all of them…" she pointed at the children behind him "… and use it for your own gain?" she asked with a sour look on her face.

He looked at her as if she had found out his biggest secret. Instead of defending himself he bargained with her some more.

"Can you tell me the purpose of your visit to such a big city?" he asked hoping he could persuade her to stay.

Lyla didn't see any problem with telling this man her reason for being here. Maybe he would understand her need to go and follow it. "I am looking for my parents."

Everyone's faces turned dark at the mention of parents and averted their eyes to hide the heart broken emotions. Lyla didn't understand those looks, every time she thought of her parents she felt happy and wanted to go out and see them.

Genius's face turned pale. He hated the mention of parents. He hated everything they stood for and hated their roles and hated the fact that they were counted on. All the children surrounding him were homeless when he found them. They had lost their parents and needed someone to watch over them. He became their guardian and they never thought of their parents and the horrible things that they had done to each one of these children. Each one of them had parents that were monsters and undeserving of children.

"Why do you want to find your parents?" Genius asked. "You were obviously separated from them, which means they obviously don't want anything to do with you." He continued with a stern look on his face.

"I don't believe that. I believe that I was taken from them against their will and I will find them and I will be reunited in the way a family should be." Lyla said with confidence.

Lyla didn't like the way Genius was staring at her and she didn't like the way all the children feared the word 'parents' and shunned away as if it would hurt them. She knew if she didn't leave here now she would be dragged into the dark whole and become a scared, parent hater too. She turned away and started walking up the stairs.

She could hear Genius speaking frantically in a whisper to one of the children, but she couldn't hear what was being said and she didn't dare turn around to see who he was talking to. She just kept walking until she reached the large metal door. She stepped out into the warm, dark night with the stars hanging over the buildings. She had completely forgotten that it was night time and she feared walking out into the dirty, scary city at night. She didn't want to go back inside and wait till morning so she started walking down the old rickety stairs until she reached ground.

"Hey, wait."

Lyla turned to look back up at the door and saw Ryan running down the steps after her. She wasn't afraid of him so she stayed still and waited for him to reach her.

"What are you doing out here?" Lyla asked when he stood in front of her out of breath.

He looked around at the darkness and noises that only a very brave man would not fear and quickly said, "Why don't you stay until the sun comes up? It will be much safer and easier for you to go out searching when there is some light and people."

"I don't want to go back in there. I don't want to see Genius and I don't want to be forced to stay." She said holding herself together from the sudden chill that swept through the air.

"Genius isn't so bad once you get to know him. All I am asking is for you to stay for a couple more hours and then I will take you wherever you want to go." Ryan said.

"Will you help me find my parents?" Lyla asked, light shining through her eyes.

Ryan looked down at his feet in nervousness and fumbled through his words. "…Well…. I ….. I might….. I can try." He said with a look of pain in his eyes.

"You'll help me?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"I will try." He said losing the fumbling, but still a little nervous.

"Thank you." She said, giving him a big hug while jumping up and down.

Ryan took her hand and led her back to the stairs leading up to the opera house entrance. He felt horrible inside, but tried to keep a trustful exterior. As Lyla was leaving, Genius had pulled him aside and demanded he get Lyla to return or else he would be put out on the streets. Genius was his only home and he didn't want to become homeless again so he went after her and succeeded in his task. He just hoped that Lyla would forgive him one day.

**xXx **

_Elkhart, Indiana_

Christine climbed back into the U-Haul truck and buckled her seatbelt. She just had to wait for Danny to get out of the convenience store with snacks. Yesterday they had driven all day and got from Boston to Ohio. Now it was half past noon and they were halfway through Indiana on the way to Illinois. They were making really great time and she hoped they could get to Los Angeles a day early. She would love a day to relax and get moved in before the stress of a new job came into her life.

She was excited for this new opportunity and couldn't wait to get started, but it was also nerve wrecking moving across the country and having to meet new people and have new bosses. She was going to miss having Melinda as a boss. She was always nice and she never disciplined her if she was late or got something done wrong. She hoped that her new boss would be the same and would give her flexibility in her new position.

Everything seemed to be moving too fast and it felt like yesterday that she was told she was moving to either New York or Los Angeles to have Melinda's job in another branch of the business. She had thought about New York and was afraid of going back for all the memories that would arise and the people she used to know. Los Angeles had been the better choice and she was happy to go and start a new life in a new place. She was even happier that Danny was coming with her.

"Hey." Danny said as he climbed into the driver's seat of the truck with a bag full of goodies. "I got Cheetos, pretzels, Smartfood popcorn and…" he said with a dazzling smile "…. Slim Jims."

"Awesome." She said grabbing the Cheetos and ripping open the bag so she could get her dose of cheese for the day.

"This is what I love about road trips. Eating junk and playing car games." Danny said opening a Slim Jim and taking a bite out of it.

He started the large engine and put it into drive before getting back on the highway heading west to Illinois. They had eaten in silence and when they were content enough to rest from eating they started to talk.

"I am so happy that you are coming with me. I don't think I would have been able to do this without you." Christine told Danny as he drove down the straight, four lane highway.

"I don't think I could possibly let you do this alone. I would have gone with you even if you didn't want me to." He said taking her hand with his free one and squeezing reassuringly.

Christine was grateful to have such a wonderful boyfriend and she couldn't wait to start her life with him in Los Angeles. He decided he was going to expand his restaurant to LA and make it even more modern and classy than the one in Boston. He had a lot of money saved up from his parents and he was going to use most of it for his restaurant in hopes it would catch attention and become very popular.

Christine loved the food that he made and admired his restaurant. That was how they had met. She was on a lousy date with a guy that her friend had set her up with and she was more interested in the design and construction of the restaurant and in the taste of the food than in the guy sitting across from her. From what Danny said he had walked out of the kitchen to check on the customers and saw her. She had looked completely bored and watched as the man sitting across from her was going on and on about himself all the while staring at her cleavage. He had quickly come over to them to ask if they were enjoying their wine and food. Christine had immediately fallen for him. He was like the knight in shining armor saving her from the large rather dull dragon.

Christine remembered after the date that she didn't even get into the cab with the other man and left him there. She started to go back into the restaurant and asked for the man that had come to check on them earlier. She was brought through the kitchens to an office where he stood behind a desk looking over some papers frantically.

After that moment they were inseparable and happy. He was the first man she had ever fallen hard for, except Erik. The thought of Erik brought bad memories of the note that was left on the bridge and written in Raoul's handwriting to losing Erik because he ran away with no word to anyone and then the baby that they had made that died in a cold hospital room.

"Are you ok?" Danny asked noticing the grim look on her face.

"Ya, I'm fine. Just thinking." She said with a fake smile hoping he would believe it.

"It must be bad thinking. What is it?" he wanted to know so that he could help her get over it.

"I'm just thinking about my past. In New York." She said giving up the façade of happiness and showing the despair on her face.

"You realize that you never told me what happened in New York. You always look really upset when you think about it. Did something happen to you?"

Christine hated talking about all that had happened and she didn't want Danny to think differently about her. But he was going across the country with her and he was moving in with her. He deserved to know what happened with her and Raoul and Erik and… the baby.

"Ok. You deserve to know my past, I know everything about you. You should know everything about me." She said taking a deep breath. "I just don't want you to think badly of me."

"I could never think badly of you. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I will always be here for you." He said giving her a quick look of confidence before watching the road again.

"Thank you. Ok, this all happened thirteen years ago." She said starting with the major part of her life and adding small notes in between big points.

Before she could continue her cell phone started going off in her purse at her feet. Before reaching down for it she turned to him and he was just looking straight ahead and he said in a frustrated tone, "Answer it. It could be important."

She quickly reached down and searched for her phone, when she found it she looked at the number and she didn't recognize it. She only recognized the area code. New York. She tried to think of who would be calling her. None of her friends from New York called her anymore, her father would call once in a while, but she didn't think that would be his number. She answered it out of curiosity before it was turned into a missed call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Christine Darden? Daughter of Paul Darden?" a young woman's stoic voice spoke through the phone at her.

Christine froze in her seat holding the phone to her ear tightly. No one ever started the conversation like that on the phone unless it was a hospital giving bad news. "Yes." She said, shaking to the bone.

"Ms. Darden your father is a patient here at Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York. He is suffering from a hereditary disease and the doctor believes you should come in to see him and get some tests done yourself."

Christine was completely stunned. Her father had always been on top of his health and he was always in good condition. Had he suffered more after she left? The woman on the line had mentioned he was suffering, but didn't say how bad it was._ 'Was it fatal? Would he just need treatment? Was he going to live?' _

"How bad is it? What is his condition?" Christine asked in a whisper. That was all she could muster.

She looked over at Danny and saw his eyebrows were raised and he looked scared. He could only hear her side of the conversation, but from what he heard it wasn't good news. She looked straight ahead again and saw that he was getting off the exit and turning into a gas station.

The woman on the other line started to fill her in on his condition. "He is suffering from hepaticolenticular degeneration, also known as Wilson's disease. It means that he has a large amount of copper in his body. This disease is also hereditary, but very rare. You are advised to come in and get tested under your father and the doctor's orders."

Christine didn't care about her own health all she wanted was to be next to her father in his hardest time. She forgot about Danny, she forgot about Los Angeles, she forgot about her job. All that mattered was her father and she wanted to be there with him.

"I will be there as soon as I can." She said with all the determination and confidence she could hold.

She hung up the phone and looked at Danny wishing he would understand. They had just spoken of happiness and sticking together, but now she was leaving. She was going to tell him about her past and now she had to go back to the place where it all started. Alone. She couldn't allow Danny to come meet her father in the position he was in. She had to make him go to Los Angeles and she would meet him there as soon as she could.

"I'm sorry Danny. My father, he is sick. He is at the hospital with a terrible disease. I have to go to him." She said in a rush.

"I understand. I will take you to the airport now." He said as he shifted back into drive as he had parked in front of the gas station to await the news.

They drove in silence to the airport which was luckily only twenty minutes away and when they went down the street to the departure entrance she turned to him.

"I need you to bring our things to Los Angeles. I am so sorry to leave you with all this…." Christine said with guilt on her tongue.

"Don't even feel guilty. You need to be with your father right now. I will get all our things to Los Angeles you have no need to worry. Go." He said nodding to the entrance next to her.

"Thank you for understanding." She said giving him a quick peck on the lips.

She grabbed her purse and suitcase that she had set aside for the week of driving. She had seven pairs of day clothes, seven pairs of nightgowns and necessities such as bathroom needs and beauty supplies. She jumped out of the truck and ran to the glass sliding doors amongst all the busy people trying to get to their destinations. She turned back to give Danny a quick wave goodbye and he returned it. She ran into the building and bought a ticket to New York City set to leave in an hour.

**xXx**

**There we go. Christine is headed in the right direction. Erik is getting thrown all over the place trying to find her. Lyla is stuck in New York City hoping to find her parents. This story is getting interesting the more you read so please continue reading and reviewing!**


	12. Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I only own some unrecognizable characters and some of the plot ideas.**

**A/N: Thank you for all the amazing reviews and please keep them coming. Here is the newest installment!**

**Music Within **

Chapter 12: Encounter

**xXx**

_New York City_

After an excruciating plane ride from Illinois and an even worse cab ride through the busy streets of New York, Christine had finally arrived at the hospital her father was residing in. The receptionist in the lobby had been very helpful and quick in finding what room and which wing he was in. She even gave Christine easy directions to get there.

As Christine was walking through the halls and passing many rooms she could hear people groaning in pain and others screaming for their nurses to come help them. The smell of sickness was floating in the air and Christine believed that she would end up with the flu, just from walking past sick patients.

When she reached her father's room he was lying in bed and hooked up to machines and had tubes sticking out of his arms. She walked closer to see that he was sleeping and he had become very pale. He looked nothing like what she remembered. She could hear that he was breathing very heavily and was struggling to get comfortable. As he shifted on his side he woke up wincing in pain and looked up to see her standing there.

"Christine?" he said weakly and unsure.

"It's me, Daddy. I'm here." Christine said dragging the closest arm chair over to the side of the bed and sitting down.

She had never seen her father look so weak and helpless before. It frightened her. His eyes were slowly blinking as if he was struggling to keep them open. As she looked closer she could see his blue irises had a ring of gold around them, a sickly copper color.

Christine grabbed a hold of her father's hand and almost lost her grip from how sweaty they were. They were clammy and warm and his hands were moving shakily as if he had the chills. As she looked at his whole body every inch of him was shivering. She put her palm over his forehead to feel for a fever and he was scorching.

Without another thought Christine stood and hit the emergency button above the bed. Moments later a young nurse bustled into the room and grabbed the folder off the end of the bed. She flipped through all of his recent medical notes with a concentrated stare.

Christine was tired of the silence and lack of communication so she took it into her own hands.

"My father is very warm and he has been shaking. I think he might have the chills or something." Christine told the nurse.

"The shaking is a side effect of his disease and he is very warm from the fever that has been coming and going for the past couple of days. The fever looks to have broken, so I am going to give him a little something to help him sleep." The nurse said as she took a syringe of some clear liquid and inserted it into his IV.

After only a few minutes her father was sleeping soundly and the sweat covering his body from the fever was dissipating. The nurse started writing a quick note in his paperwork before putting it back down. When she saw that her work was done she started to head out of the room.

"Can I speak to my father's doctor please? I would like to get an update on everything." Christine turned to tell the nurse before she could leave.

"Of course, I will page him now." She said taking her beeper off the waist line of her scrubs and hitting some buttons as she left the room.

Christine thought that the doctor would be quick to come talk to her, but she ended up waiting over half an hour. She knew her father wasn't going to wake up for a while so she left the room and headed for the nurses' station.

Christine didn't see the nurse she had talked to earlier, but another woman was sitting at the desk. When she stood in front of her she got the woman's attention by saying, "I asked for my father's doctor over half an hour ago. The patients name is Paul Darden."

The nurse turned to a pile of folders and picked up the file that had her father's name on the label. She looked down at the information and found the name of the doctor that was in charge of Paul Darden.

"That explains it. Doctor Harris is in surgery at the moment and he will be out in a little over an hour, if everything goes well. Visiting hours are over before than so you may have to speak with him tomorrow." The nurse said in an exasperated voice.

Christine was very frustrated with the rules of the hospital and angry at the nurses for being so dispassionate. She had been interrupted from her road trip to be by her father's side and she wasn't even given a chance to meet with this Doctor Harris. Everything was going horribly and she knew that she shouldn't try to fight with the nurse because she would end up not getting her way and possibly have security usher her out.

"I will be here at nine tomorrow morning. Will Doctor Harris be here then?" Christine said passively.

"Yes, he comes in tomorrow at 8:30 in the morning. I will make sure that he comes to your father's room when you get here." She said while writing a note on a florescent yellow pad.

"Thank you." Christine said, finally getting some compassion.

Christine returned to her father's room and saw he had turned onto his side and he was still fast asleep. She didn't think he would be awake for a while so she grabbed her purse and travel bag. After giving her father a kiss on the forehead she turned and left the room.

The visiting hours in the hospital were so unreasonable that when she left the sun was still out and it wasn't even that late. She walked down the busy streets and soaked in all the noise and people surrounding her. Everything was so much busier than in Boston and she had to admit she missed the big city. With all the chaotic streets and people it would be hard to get stuck in your head.

She had been walking for over twenty minutes and still didn't have a clue where to go. She decided she should probably get a hotel room that is close to the hospital so she could just walk there the next morning. Her feet hurt so she started to hail a cab and soon enough someone stopped to give her a ride.

"Where you going?" the cab driver asked with a deep New York accent.

"Do you know of any cheap hotels near the Metropolitan Hospital Center?" she asked.

"Cheap?" the guy asked, as if it was impossible to find anything cheap in the city. "I don't know about cheap, but there are a few places near the hospital. The Franklin sound good? It's nice and reasonable." He said looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"Sure, thanks." Christine said. She forgot how rude and unkind people were in New York and she was reconsidering her previous thought.

Since she landed in New York people were treating her like an outsider and didn't care that they were being assholes. In Boston at least people stopped to help you if you needed directions. Here, people could care less if you got lost in the middle of Harlem. The cab driver that picked her up at the airport didn't speak English and it took her forever to get him to understand she needed to be driven to a particular hospital.

The nurses had been busy and didn't want to help at all. They probably tried keeping her from throwing a fit because they wouldn't have to deal with her tomorrow and if anything went wrong someone else would get the brunt of her anger. She wouldn't be surprised if her father's doctor didn't show up tomorrow morning.

Now this cab driver looked at her as if she was stupid. She hated feeling as if she had never lived here and just wanted to get into a comfortable bed, wake up twelve hours later and visit her sick father. She didn't want any more complications.

She was fuming inside and wanted to just be alone, so when she reached the hotel she almost left the cab without paying. She threw exact change at the cab driver, refusing to give him a tip, and took her bags before entering the hotel.

After checking in for a room for a couple of nights she entered a clean and crisp bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. It was very small and the queen size bed took up most of the space. The comforter and sheets were very stiff and clean on the bed, no wrinkles in sight. There was a plasma TV propped on the wall across from the bed and windows on two sides covered in heavy, coffee colored curtains. The bathroom would be a claustrophobic person's worst nightmare. It was very thin like a hallway and the tub was across from the toilet. It was only temporary so she had nothing to complain about.

After taking a very quick shower Christine put on one of Danny's large t-shirts and boxer briefs that she had taken as a nightgown and climbed under the sheets of the bed. She was tired from such a long, emotional day and just needed a very long nap.

**xXx**

Christine woke up at 8:00 the next morning and drowsily put on an outfit for the day and brushed her teeth and hair. She didn't bother putting on make-up or any jewelry for she was only going to the hospital. She wouldn't be the only person not wearing make-up.

She took a quick stop at the nearest Dunkin Donuts and grabbed herself a coffee and a muffin. She would eat when she got to the hospital, but she needed something to wake her up for the walk. That was what the coffee was for.

After a good five minutes of walking down different side streets, cutting through in the direction she needed to go, she found herself in what looked to be a dog park. She looked at the sign as she walked by and it was Ruppert Park. Christine immediately remembered all the memories she had of this place. It was where Raoul and she had first kissed. At the time it was a sweet memory, but now she just looked back and thought _'what was I thinking?' _

As she cut through the grassy field filled with people and their dogs she saw one person who was without a pet, but he had two children with him. What caught her attention about them was the fact that the man was screaming at the teenage boy and gesturing horribly to him. Just when Christine thought she should do something the man hit the boy in the face with a harsh slap making the boy fall to the ground. A little girl who was standing nearby watching them ran forward and knelt by the boy's side to see if he was okay.

Christine had seen enough and strode over to the man that had physically abused the boy. She was coming up from behind him, so the man didn't see her coming. All the frustration and anger Christine had building up over yesterday and this morning was taken out on the abusive man.

"Hey." Christine said, tapping the man on the shoulder.

When the stranger turned around he was hit square in the face by a strong fist.

Raoul fell to the ground with a bleeding nose. The pain was excruciating and he hadn't expected it at all. When he looked up everything was blurry from the pain filled tears that were welling in his eyes. He could see the outline of a woman with curly brown hair and a pale complexion.

"Raoul?" Christine exclaimed.

She hadn't even given the man a second before she clocked him in the nose. When he finally looked up at her she immediately recognized the man that had ruined her life and stolen her freedom. The man she had been thinking about only moments earlier. He looked completely different from the last time she saw him. He no longer had perfect hair that was styled to perfection. His hair was long, reaching his shoulders and it was stringy and greasy as if he never washed it. His face which was always clean shaven and plucked now had a few days old facial hair and a black eye forming.

Raoul was the man with two children and a horrible temper? Raoul is the one that would so brutally slap a boy half his size in front of dozens of other pedestrians?

Raoul finally righted himself and held onto his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"Christine?" Raoul asked when he finally cleared his head and looked at her.

"What the hell is that matter with you?" she yelled in his face.

"What? What is the matter with me? What is the matter with you? Why did you just punch me?" he asked using the hem of his shirt to clean the blood off his upper lip.

The reason why she had come over came back to her instantly. She had become sidetracked by the revelation of her ex and the kids by their feet became the first thing on her mind again. She immediately looked over and kneeled down on the ground to get a better look at the boy.

"Are you alright?" she asked checking for any damage on his face.

"I'm okay." The boy said, even though blood was forming from a cut on his cheek.

It looked very painful and even was deep enough to need stitches. Luckily she was on her way to the hospital any way; she was going to bring the children with her. No way was she leaving them with Raoul after what he just did.

"What's your name?" she asked the boy.

"Ryan." He said as he sat up and looking over at the girl next to him. "This is Lyla."

Christine looked up into large blue eyes that were trained on her as if she was an angel from heaven. The girl also had curly brown hair that was pulled back in a half ponytail. She couldn't be older than fifteen and the boy had to be at least sixteen. She wondered how these children ended up with Raoul, they couldn't be his. Raoul never wanted kids.

"Who are these children to you, Raoul?" Christine said looking back up at him in wonderment.

"There… uh…mine." He said. Raoul had never been a good liar when it came to an outright question. She immediately knew that these children were not his. He probably found them.

"I can't believe you Raoul." She said in astonishment. She immediately stood and grabbed Ryan and Lyla's hands in hers before starting to walk away.

"Hey, you can't take them. Their mine." He said, coming after them. He grabbed Lyla's other hand and started to tug.

Christine could see the girl was scared and she noticed that Raoul had taken hold of the poor girl. Without another word Christine turned full circle and faced Raoul with both the children standing behind her as if she was a wall of protection.

"Don't make me punch you again!" she said, seething through her teeth. "You lay one finger on either of these children and I will call the police and make sure you are put away for child abuse and kidnapping."

"You can't do that." He said, he was not afraid, which just made Christine even angrier.

"Try me." She said before turning and grabbing the children's hands and walking in the direction of the hospital.

**xXx**

She had seen an angel.

Lyla was certain that Ryan and her were saved from the devil and rescued by an angel. The woman had a light around her and it glowed strongly.

The woman that had come out of nowhere and put Genius in his place was a true savior. They must have known each other because they had names for each other without exchanging them. The woman had hatred for Genius the moment she saw him, either from him hitting Ryan or from a problem they had in the past. Either way she was glad someone had stuck up for them and taken control of the matter.

She had only spent one day with Genius and Ryan and her prayers had been answered. Ryan had promised to help her find a new place to stay and the next morning it was as if those plans had never been discussed. Genius had immediately taken her and Ryan to one of his favorite tourist spots and had her play the guitar. After only a few minutes she had over ten dollars in small bills and coins. The whole day she was forced to play the guitar and with some of the money, Genius had bought three hotdogs for each of them. It was the only kindness he had shown.

After a whole day of strumming guitar strings she had blisters on all of her fingertips. Genius had noticed them and didn't want her fingers to get worse so he invited her along to watch Ryan play. That was when Genius had gotten fed up with Ryan's lousy playing and hit him in the face.

The angel had come at that moment and saved them both, starting with the punch given to Genius and ending with the angel taking our hands and bringing us to safety.

When Genius had tried to take her hand she became frightened and wanted to hold on for dear life to the sweet angel. What she hadn't expected was the woman to let go first, but what happened next made her fear for Genius's life. The woman had given a threat that was spoken through clenched teeth and she looked ready to give him another punishment.

Sooner than expected they stopped at a large brick building that had a large red sign above the door saying Metropolitan Hospital Center. They entered into a large room with a woman to the side sitting behind a tall desk.

"I am here to visit my father, Paul Darden." The angel told the woman behind the desk.

"Alright, here is your visitor pass and they need them also." The woman said, pointing down at her and Ryan.

"Oh, no, they aren't with me. Well they are, but they aren't mine." The angel spoke, looking flustered.

Before anything else could be said between the two adults, the angel took Lyla and Ryan's hands and walked them over to the waiting room chairs. She knelt down on the floor in front of them and started to ask questions.

"Do you know where your parents are?" she asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Lyla looked over at Ryan and he gave a look of fear and wariness. She remembered what he had told her about his parents and she didn't want him to get put back into that horrible lifestyle. She struggled with her decision to tell the angel about her parents, but couldn't give anything away without sounding like a run away. Lyla saw Ryan give a short shake of his head and she followed suit.

"Do you know where you live?" the angel asked.

The thought of her past home and the journey she had taken to get away from it immediately gave her reason into giving the angel another shake of her head.

**xXx**

Christine watched as the children shook their heads in answer to all of her questions. Frustrated, she stood and told them to wait there while she went to make a call.

As she reached the receptionist's desk she told the woman, "The children aren't answering any of my questions. Would you call the police and have them come down and talk to them. I think they might be runaways or been kidnapped. I am going to stay with them until they arrive. Just tell the police that they aren't giving up any information."

"Of course." The woman said, as she picked up the phone and started to dial the local police station's phone number.

Christine turned back to the children and was reminded that Ryan had a cut on his cheek, for he was dabbing at it with the sleeve of his shirt.

Christine turned back to the woman before she could finish dialing and asked, "Could you also have a nurse come over and clean up the boy's cheek? He has a pretty bad gash."

"Yup." She said, giving a one minute signal as she answered the police's opening question.

Christine went back over to the children and sat down in a seat next to them. They were both still very quiet and unresponsive to her company. She thought of what she would do if she was in their shoes and could understand their shyness. Being in Raoul's company could make anyone want to shut off from the world and feel scared.

Christine didn't have to wait in silence for too long because two police officers arrived at the same time that a nurse came over to check Ryan's wound. As the nurse took over watching the kids and making sure they were alright the police spoke to Christine.

"Hello, my name is Officer Graham, this is Officer Brent. Could you tell us your name, Miss?" the man asked pulling a pen and notepad out of his breast pocket.

"Christine Darden." She said shyly.

Both men were very well built and large, which made her feel intimidated. She was shaking out of nervousness just from their stares.

"So can you tell us what happened? Where did you find them?" the man asked, writing down her name.

"I was on my way here to visit my father and was walking through Ruppert Park when I saw a man being very abusive to these children. I recognized the man as an old… acquaintance… and knew that he wasn't the father. He hit Ryan…" turning to the boy who was being wiped clean by the nurse "… and he got a pretty bad cut on his cheek. I brought them here because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them with that abuser."

"Who was the man that abused them?" the police officer asked, all serious.

"His name is Raoul Chaney." Christine said. She didn't feel bad at all for giving up that information. Raoul deserved whatever he got.

"Thank you for this information. If we have anything else to ask you, may we have your number to get in touch?" He asked.

"Of course." She said looking for a pen and paper. The officer handed her his notepad and pen and she put her cell phone number on it. "I am really nervous about separating from them. Is it possible to get your number to see how they are doing or where they go?" She said handing his things back.

"We can't give out their personal information, it's confidential." The officer said, turning to look at the innocent children. "We can call you and let you know that they returned home safely if you like?" he continued, understanding that she wanted to know that they were being taken care of after she left.

"That would be great. Thank you." Christine said, looking at the kids as if she was being separated from her own children.

In only a brief and silent amount of time she had become close to these two children. The both of them made her want to take them to the hotel and take care of them. She knew that would be impossible because she had to be in Los Angeles next week and both Ryan and Lyla's parents were probably really worried about them.

Christine and the officers both turned to see the nurse was done and packing away all the dirty gauze. Ryan had a nice clean cheek and a Band-Aid over the cut. When the nurse left their side Christine took a seat next to them and started to speak softly.

"Ok, these nice gentlemen are going to take care of you. I have to go visit my father so this is goodbye. Do whatever these men say; they are going to help you. They won't be able to if you don't tell them what you know." She only got two sets of round eyes with dread set in their faces. She didn't want to leave their sides, but she had to separate from them.

Before Christine could be sucked into their pleading looks she stood and grabbed her purse before shaking the police officers hands and walking towards the sets of elevators. When she was still in eye shot she looked back at Lyla and Ryan uncertainly. She looked from the scared and shaky Ryan to the round eyes of Lyla who were looking at her as if she was a savior. Something about the little girl made her regret leaving and she had a certain pull towards her that she couldn't explain.

She turned away again, reluctantly, and hit the button to the elevator and got on without another look.

**xXx**

**A/N: I know… I know… I am evil! Please leave reviews and maybe I will be good again! Sorry there was no Erik scene for this chapter, but there will be in the next chapter! **

**Love reviews, give them to me! Unsinkable is up next!**


	13. Discoveries

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes. They belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: Here it is! The 13****th**** chapter of Music Within. It took a lot longer for me to finish Infinite Love than I originally thought, but now that it is over I have more time for this story and Unsinkable! Until I start uploading chapters for Win a Weekend with Christine Day. That shouldn't be until one of these stories is finished. Well hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, did you ever wonder why Frank Nelson was so chatty when he was talking to Erik? You'll find out in this chapter. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 13: Discoveries

**xXx **

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Erik had been subjected to staying in a hotel for the weekend since Melinda Kim didn't work on the weekends and her new assistant wouldn't give out her cell phone or home phone number. He knew that his assistant would have been fired for giving out his personal number so it shouldn't have been a surprise that this would happen to him. But now he really needed the girl to give him the number so he could get closer to finding out where Christine moved to.

The conversation he had with Christine's replacement made him infuriated and beyond logical reason. After shouting at the girl for over half an hour, trying every tactic to convince her to give over the number, the girl started blabbering and crying into her headset. Erik couldn't stand the squeaking and sniffling coming from her so he just hung up. He was going to go down to Mrs. Kim's office and find it himself, but thought better of it, deciding to just wait until Monday morning. He just hoped that when he finally got a hold of her she would give over the information he so desperately needed.

The weekend had gone by abnormally slow, even though Erik had kept himself busy. He had gone out to the streets of Boston and seen some tourist attractions. He had even made a few calls for work and participated in meetings over the phone when he should have been there in person. When Monday morning finally rolled around Erik called the designers office and was directed to Melinda Kim's line.

"Melinda Kim's office." The cheery assistant's voice greeted.

Erik was not surprised to hear the girl's voice, but he was surprised to hear it so upbeat and happy. Their conversation must have been forgotten by her. Erik just hoped she wouldn't recognize his voice and become a ball of tears again. He quickly said he needed to speak with Mrs. Melinda Kim.

As he was put on hold Erik's heart beat faster than a drum, the exact opposite to the peaceful elevator music playing in his ear. He so wished that this was the end of the line to finding where Christine was, if not he would curse at the woman more than he did to her assistant.

"Hello?" a rather dull and flustered woman said in his ear.

"My name is Erik Daines and I am calling to enquire the whereabouts of your last assistant, Christine Darden." Erik spoke in a business manner.

"Christine Darden doesn't work at this location anymore, she was transferred." The woman said, obviously focusing some of her attention on the conversation and the rest on something else. Erik could hear the shuffling of paper and the heavy breathing coming from the busy fashion designer.

"Would you mind telling me where she was located to?" Erik asked. _'If the woman was working on so many things at once, would she would give up information without a second thought?'_ Erik asked himself, hopeful.

"What business do you have with Christine?" the woman said, her concentration now set completely on Erik's questioning.

Erik hated his bad luck and quickly thought of a good reason for asking. "I'm an old friend." He blurted out; unsure what else would be a passable excuse. He couldn't just say he was her one night stand thirteen years ago.

"She was relocated to Los Angeles." she said.

Erik leaned his head back against the head rest of the chair he was sitting in and sighed. _'She's living in the same city that I do.'_ Erik wanted to scream out his exhaustion and aggravation of the whole situation and throw something breakable across the room. On the other hand he had finally found where she was and couldn't hold back his excitement of the fact that she was going to be so much easier to find. She would be in his arms in no time at all.

"Thank you. You have been very helpful." Erik said before hanging up.

He quickly searched for his office number in his contacts and called, waiting for his assistant to answer.

"Erik Daines office."

"Samantha, it's me. I am getting a flight back there and I need you to have the whereabouts of a Christine Darden. Get me her phone number and address before I get there or you're fired." He said before hanging up and calling the airport.

He took a cab to the mess that was Logan Airport and paid the driver handsomely. When he got to the ticket holders he paid for the ticket he had ordered over the phone and rushed to board the plane.

Everything was going well for him this time around, the cab driver had been quick and efficient and the people at the airport were polite since there were not many travelers going out at this time of day. He got on the plane and prayed he wouldn't get stuck next to someone that snored, talked or took up their seat and half of his. He was surprised to find that the seat next to his remained empty and he was given a five hour flight in peace.

When he arrived at LAX he took his carry-on bag and made it out to the familiar streets of the city he lived in. His assistant had had his car brought for him and he quickly got in before merging with the other cars in the streets of Los Angeles.

"Erik Daines office." Samantha said into the phone when Erik called.

"It's Erik. What do you have for me?" he said into the phone speaker of his car.

"Christine Darden rented out an apartment at Sunset & Vine in Hollywood. The address is 1555 N Vine Street, Apartment A4. Her phone number is 508-3298." She said, spitting out the information he had asked for.

"Thank you." Erik said, disconnecting the call. Everything she had told him was immediately added into his GPS that was built into his car. The precise, womanly voice started directing him to where he wanted to go.

He decided he wasn't going to call Christine. He wanted to see her face before he heard her voice. It would be a much sweeter surprise to witness her reaction to seeing him. Calling her first would ruin that moment.

After driving down a few streets and passing different landmarks, the speaker told him he had arrived at his destination. He looked up at the building sitting on the corner of the four way intersection and wondered if she was looking out the windows at the LA sights. He quickly parked his car in one of the parallel spots in front of the restaurant that sat under the apartments. He locked his car with a click of a button as he entered the door leading up to the residents lobby.

He made it up to the desk in the lobby to see it was unoccupied. When the elevator doors opened behind him he turned quickly to see who came off of them. The woman that walked out had long wavy brown hair covering her face as she looked down to dig something from her purse.

"Christine?" Erik said grabbing her shoulders to get her attention. The woman looked up in shock and confusion. Erik realized his mistake and let her go. "I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else."

"It's okay." She said before passing him and walking out of the building.

Erik brushed off his moment of foolishness, got onto the elevator the woman had just gotten off of and hit the button labeled A. When he reached the next floor up, he moved into the hallway and remembered that Samantha had said apartment A4. He took a right and headed down the hall until he found the white door that had a bronze A4 labeled on it.

Erik's nerves were making him shake with excitement and before he knocked on the door he looked into the mirror on the wall to make sure he looked okay in his business suit. He was about to see the woman he had dreamt about for the past thirteen years. He was about to see the only girl that had ever kissed his marred face. The woman he believed hated him all this time and only last week found out she had searched for him.

He knocked on the door and rung the bell. He waited a few seconds before the door swung open and he was faced with a guy wearing a worn out shirt and pair of sweatpants. He had a phone to his ear that was slightly hidden by the dark wavy hair. His green eyes widely staring at Erik.

"Can I help you?" he asked pulling the phone away from his ear so the person on the other line wouldn't think he was talking to him.

Erik stared at the man and his heart sank. _'Christine was living with a man? She had moved on and was moved in with a man.' _"Um… I'm sorry. I was looking for Christine Darden."

"Are you from Threads Design?" he asked.

Erik was confused for a moment and then realized he was talking about her job. Then he realized that it was the middle of the day and Christine was probably there now. Instead of sounding like a stalker or creep he said, "Yes I'm her boss. I was supposed to take her to an early dinner to celebrate her promotion. She didn't say she had a… husband?"

"No, I'm not her husband, just her boyfriend. My name is Danny." He said extending his hand to give a shake.

Erik shook his hand grudgingly, realizing he lost the chance with the woman he loved. He should have known that after all this time she would be with someone else and be happy. He couldn't have expected her to be alone forever waiting for him to come to his senses and look for her.

"I'm sorry, but Christine isn't here. I thought she would have called you and told you she wouldn't be in today. It must be the stress, she forgets important stuff sometimes. She never even mentioned a dinner."

Erik needed to act like her new boss so he concernedly asked, "Is she alright? I never got the call that she wouldn't be in." Erik said, building the lie as he went along.

"She's fine. She had to go to New York though. Her father is really sick and she needed to be there for him. It sounded pretty serious." He said. His thoughts went directly to the phone in his hand. "Yes sorry, can you hold on a moment?" he said to the person on the phone. "Sorry I couldn't help you fur…" Danny turned back to look at where the man with the mask had been standing, but he wasn't there anymore.

He looked down the hall to see the man just getting onto the elevator and the doors closed behind him. He could have sworn the man looked beyond exhausted and completely enraged.

**xXx **

_New York City_

Christine's ride up the elevator to the fifth floor and the walk through the hallways to her father's room were done as if she had done it a thousand times before. Her mind was filled with uncertainty, worry and confusion, but not for her father. It was for the girl that was sitting downstairs in the waiting room with police officers. She didn't know why her thoughts were still focused on Lyla, but she knew that for some reason she was important. But she had to put those thoughts aside until she got news of her father's condition.

When she entered her father's room she was filled with relief at seeing the doctor standing at the end of the hospital bed. She walked forward, getting the attention of Dr. Harris.

"You must be Christine." The doctor said extending his hand for a shake. "I'm Doctor Harris, your father's physician."

"Nice to finally meet you." Christine said, shaking his hand. She didn't try to hide her annoyance about what happened yesterday, not getting a chance to talk to him and being disregarded by the nurses. She turned to look at her weak father and said, "How is he?"

"He is suffering from an extreme case of hepatolenticular degeneration, which means that copper has been building up in his system for years. The brown color around his irises and the slightly yellow color of his skin are definite signs that this disease has taken over a huge part of his body. He is lucky he is still alive." He noticed Christine's shaking body and anxious expression and instructed her to take a seat. "This disease starts in the liver and can be treated with medication or a transplant. But your father is much farther along. The build-up has gone to his brain and other major organs. Only time will tell how much longer he has."

Christine had taken a seat when the doctor advised her to and now as she sat there she was thankful she had taken the advice for she would have been on the floor. The news was so disastrous that her knees went weak and she lost the ability to move. She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks and she looked at her sleeping father through the blur of tears building up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that her father was so close to death that the doctors didn't have an exact amount of time that he had left. She either had five minutes or a day or even a month left with him. She didn't want a life without him in it. She regretted leaving him all those years ago, those years she could have been with him, enjoying the last moments with him before the sickness fell. Now she could never get those days back.

"We want to get your blood tested to see if you have the genetic disease. I would also like to look over your medical history to see if there have been any symptoms before. The results of your blood test could take a few hours so I just want to get a head start on it. I can have a nurse practitioner set you up with a physical." Dr. Harris said breaking through her thoughts.

"Okay." She said through her sniffles and tears.

"I know that you want to be by your father's side, but it is better safe than sorry to get you checked out now."

"Alright." Christine said, keeping her eyes on her father. "Just let me know when the room is ready for me." She said wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I'll be back." The doctor said before leaving the room.

Christine took a hold of her father's cold hand and squeezed. "Daddy? Please wake up. I don't want you to leave me yet." She said, her voice breaking from the ache in her throat. "Please hold on." Christine looked up to the ceiling, towards the heavens, "God, don't take him away from me. You took my mother, my daughter. You pushed Erik away from me. Please, he's all I have left."

Christine received no answer and looked back down to her unmoving father. She looked at the screen to see the slow lines move up and down indicating her father's heart was beating slowly. Christine knew that if she kept looking at his pale face and pained expression she would crumble and fall into a pit of guilt. If she hadn't left to move to Boston she would have been able to see the difference in him and push him to see a doctor before it was too late. Now he would be dead before he could see the next year, maybe not even the next month.

Christine heard the muffled music playing from her purse and reached inside for her phone. When she saw it was a random number she didn't recognize she ignored it. She couldn't handle telemarketers or credit card companies right now. When her phone rang five minutes later with the same number she thought maybe it was someone she knew that she hadn't programmed into her phone yet.

Clearing her throat and wiping the tears from her eyes she hit answer and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"I would recognize that voice anywhere." The deep, almost recognizable voice said on the other line.

"Excuse me? Who is this?" Christine said, officially creeped out. She felt like she had suddenly been thrown into a scary movie, like The Ring.

"I'm sorry if I scared you Christine. It's Frank… Frank Nelson." The man said chuckling.

Frank Nelson? Christine sifted through her memory and found Frank in her music career. Ever since she lost her ability to sing she threw away everything that reminded her of it, including her first and only CD.

"Frank, of course. I'm sorry; my mind is just really chaotic right now. How are you?" Christine said pressing her fingers to her forehead to keep the headache at bay.

"I'm fine. I hope I am not catching you at a bad time." He said nervously.

Christine looked at her father again and back to her phone. "I could use a distraction."

"Well I have had a thought nagging in my mind for a week now and I just really need to tell you something." He started to say.

"Frank, I am really not in the mind set to get back to singing. I just got a promotion in Los Angeles and…" Christine said, cutting him off before he could continue.

"No, no. I am not trying to sign you, Christine. This is more personal than that." Frank said, reassuring her.

The part about him saying 'more personal' made her more nervous, she stayed silent waiting for him to continue.

"You are here in Los Angeles?" Frank said suddenly caught off guard by that.

"Well not at the moment. I was pulled away from my new job to…" Christine didn't want to get too deep into these matters right now. "What did you call me about?"

"Of course. Um… well I was listening to one of your songs on your CD and suddenly remembered a conversation we had a while back."

Christine could tell that he was nervous about this conversation and it only made her shake with uneasiness. "What conversation would that be?"

"Do you remember who inspired you to write 'My Beautiful One Night Stand'?"

The title of that song immediately brought so many memories flying back to her. It had been a message to Erik. In the letter Raoul had written pretending to be Erik he had signed it Your One Night Stand. Christine had written the song before she found out that Raoul had written it and she had hopes for it to be a signal to Erik to come back to her. She wanted him to know that she loved him and wanted him. She had been happier in that one night with him than in the two years with Raoul. But he never came.

"Yes, I remember." Christine said with fresh tears pooling in her eyes and falling down her cheeks.

Frank continued to explain. "You told me who that was about. You explained that you had met a man on the Central Park bridge and had one night with him. You had planned to see him again, but he had found out about Raoul."

"Yes. Where are you going with this, Frank?" Christine said, the amount of crying she was doing almost topped when she found out her daughter had died and she had never gotten a chance to see her.

"You told me he wore a white mask on the right side of his face." Frank said, waiting for a response.

"Yes he did. He wore a mask. Why are you bringing this up?" Christine's headache was getting worse and worse from the crying and the topic that was being brought up so suddenly.

"The man that fits that description goes by the name Erik Daines. Is that the same man from your song?"

Christine didn't know what to say. Where was Frank going with this? Before she could respond a nurse came in to the room and tapped on her shoulder.

"There is a room waiting for you." She said, waiting for her to come along.

"Hold on one minute please." She told the nurse before returning her attention to the conversation that was becoming more curious by the second.

"How do you know his name?" she asked Frank.

"Erik Daines came to my office last week asking about you."

Christine froze in place. Her heart skipped a beat at the same time that she lost her breath. She couldn't even think of what to say. _'Erik was looking for me? He wanted to know where I was?' _Christine thought to herself.

"Christine… are you still there?" Frank's worried voice asked.

"Did… what… how…" Christine had a dozen questions running through her mind and she tried to ask them all at once, ending up with jumbled words. "How is he?"

"He looked… good. I was worried that you would be upset." He said. "I sort of blurted out a lot of information about you without thinking. I couldn't stop. He looked as if he was determined to find you."

Christine smiled for the first time since she arrived in New York and she felt like the ice that covered her soul was starting to melt away. _'Erik is looking for me?' _

"I thought that maybe after all these years you might have moved on and wanted to forget your past." He explained. "I must have just brought it all crashing back to you."

"I have been trying to hide from my past for so long that I have given up. It keeps coming back to me. I have decided to just accept it." Christine said, still smiling widely. It was the first time she had heard about Erik in so long that she couldn't stop from crying happy tears instead of sad ones. "What did you tell him about me?" Christine asked. She suddenly felt like she was back in high school asking one of her girlfriends about her crush.

"I just mentioned that you had a voice made by angels and he agreed. I went on to tell him of our brief career together and your first CD. Then I told him about your ex-fiancé and the relationship you had with him. He was surprised to find out that you two hadn't been together for much longer. He was equally as surprised to hear that you loved him more than your fiancé."

Christine tried to envision what Erik looked like today and wished she could have been there to see him. She would have done anything to see him again. She continued to listen to what Frank was saying, hoping she didn't miss anything.

"When he found out you had gotten pregnant he looked as if he needed a drink. I offered, but he refused." He said, trying to make light of the conversation with some humor.

Christine could only imagine what Erik thought about that. He probably wouldn't be happy to find out that the baby they had made together hadn't made it. He would be just as heartbroken as she was when she found out, no doubt.

Christine heard the patient nurse's beeper go off and realized she had kept the woman from her duties. She didn't want to leave the important conversation, but she also needed to make sure she was healthy and in no danger of getting the disease that took over her father. "Frank I actually have something I have to do. Can I call you back?"

"Please do. There is something else I have to tell you so just call the number that came up on your screen." He said. Christine could hear in his voice that there was something else gnawing at his mind, but she had to go.

"I will call you back as soon as possible." She said, hanging up and turning to face the woman in scrubs.

"Sorry about that." She said before putting her phone away and giving her father a quick kiss on his forehead. She followed the nurse out of the room to her physical.

After finding out her father was too sick to leave the hospital she didn't think she would be leaving her father's room with hope clouding her mind. Miracles do come true.

**xXx **

**Well hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and I will have the next chapter of Unsinkable up really soon! **

**I feel bad for making Erik run all over God's creation, but when I start writing it just happens and I can't stop it lol xD**


	14. Music Returned

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I am just borrowing some stuff for entertainment purposes. All recognizable characters and actions belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: I realize I didn't put anything about Lyla in the last chapter so let's remedy that shall we. I will have a little bit of everyone in this chapter so I hope you enjoy! **

**I might not be able to upload another chapter for this story until after Christmas, but I will try. Just in case Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all of my precious readers. **

**Please Leave a Review!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 14: Music Returned

**xXx**

_New York City Police Station _

Lyla didn't realize the consequences of her actions until it was too late.

Being a naive twelve year old that had lived in a town that was vastly green fields and farms all her life didn't understand the severity of a large city. Everything she did was meant to be innocent and without bad outcomes. That's why now as she sat across from the police officer that brought her and Ryan in she only thought he was trying to help her. She didn't know that giving the police her real name would be a problem. She didn't know that each piece of information she gave him would be leading her closer and closer to the Glendale home. Each truth she gave the man in uniform was like taking another step backwards from the direction she desired to go in.

Lyla had just told the officer her name, her last name. That one part of her three part name that was the most important and she had given it away without a second thought. He had immediately typed it into his computer and leaned back in his chair causing it to squeal under the pressure. She couldn't see what was happening on the screen from where she was sitting, but assumed everything would be alright.

Another man, much wider than the one that had so far been interrogating them, came over with a rush in his step and a beaded red face. He leaned over the chair and mumbled something in the officer's ear. It must have been a private matter for the officer stood and walked across the room to talk to him in private.

"Why did you do that?"

Lyla jumped at the sudden deep baritone of Ryan's voice. He had refused to utter one syllable to the officer and wouldn't allow Lyla to give away anything about him. He had sat there acting as if he was deaf and mute, not giving anything away. When he finally spoke to her when the officer left she had turned to him in surprise.

"Do what?" she asked nervously.

"You just gave them your name… your last name. They just put that valuable information into the computer to see if you have come up in anything. You ran away from that stupid orphaned children's home and they obviously called Social Services to get your name put up on missing children. That computer is going to find you and they are going to send you right back there."

Lyla's innocent, law abiding mind hadn't thought about that and now her thoughts were running in circles frantically, trying to figure out what to do next. She knew she had messed up badly this time and if she didn't think fast she would end up back in that horrible home… in that horrible town with no way of leaving. They would surely keep her watched for another attempt at fleeing, making her journey to finding her real family hopeless.

She turned to face Ryan again to see that he had stood and taken a few steps away. She almost didn't see him through the crowd of people standing around in the cramped police station.

"Where are you going?" she said in a hissing tone from the anxiety fogging her brain.

He turned to look at her and she could see the determination and subtle fear in his eyes. "I'm leaving. I won't be interrogated into giving my name and being put back in the system. I just can't."

He looked around the room at all the people whether they were officers or victims of a crime and with a deep breath he disappeared through the heavy doors into the busy streets. He had made sure no one was watching him and when he saw that everyone was busy with another task he had taken his opportunity and fled.

Lyla had watched him go with wide eyes. He hadn't even offered to let her come along. She could have just followed him, but he was too quick for her to catch up and she worried that she would just slow him down. She didn't want him to be forced into that life he hated so much, just as much as she didn't want to be back at Glendale. But now she was alone again, like the beginning, and she didn't know where to start in finding a way out of the police's hold.

Before she could try her luck at disappearing the way Ryan did the officer came back over and sat in his worn out chair again. He looked up to see the seat Ryan had vacated was empty.

"Where's the boy?" he asked pointing to the empty seat with concern.

With a trustful, small voice she said, "He went to the bathroom." She would make sure that his identity and escape were hidden from these men at all costs, for his protection.

The officer let out a breath she hadn't noticed he had been holding before turning back to the computer screen. She could see the glare of the loading screen in his large rimmed glasses and tried to decipher how much time she had left until she was found out.

"My computer is being very slow today. Do you want me to grab you a drink, some water?" he asked, trying to be caring for the young girl that had obviously been through a lot.

"Sure." Lyla answered trying to keep her emotions in check.

When the officer went off to fetch a cup of water for her she looked around the crowded room and saw a bulletin board with a lot of flyers, notifications and wanted signs tacked to it, each one slightly covered by another.

Curiously she stood and walked over to it as something caught her eye. As she got closer she saw that most of the papers were pictures of missing children or teenagers with their information next to them. She stopped for a second to see a piece of paper that was almost completely covered by another. She lifted the covering paper and looked into the eyes of herself. She saw the title saying Runaway and saw all her information labeled next to the picture that had been taken on her twelfth birthday.

She dropped the paper she had been holding up to cover her face and looked around the room to see officers sitting at their desks or talking amongst themselves. She caught her eye on the officer that had gone to get her some water and he was standing by the cooler with a cup in hand talking to another man in a similar navy blue uniform. She turned in shock at the noise of banging, yelling and struggling.

The doors flew open and two cops were struggling to restrain one man covered in tattoos. He seemed to be a strong man for a few more officers came forward to help subdue him. The distraction and effort of taking care of the criminal had everyone's attention so Lyla found her chance of escape.

She slowly started inching her way towards the doors that were still propped open from the scene and looked around to see everyone's attention was focused on the bald, tattooed criminal. She snuck out into the early summer air and into the crowd of innocent city pedestrians. Before long she found herself around the corner of the police station and out of sight. She knew she had no reason to worry about getting caught, but she ran anyway.

After a few more blocks of running and a clear realization that she wasn't going to get caught she found herself at the entrance to a subway station. She went down the steps, farther and farther into the darkness, and saw no one was manning the turnstile so she snuck underneath them and got on board the subway train that was sitting waiting for people to get on.

She would get off a few stops later and find herself in a whole new situation.

**xXx**

_Los Angeles_

Erik couldn't remember the last time he had quietly closed a door like a normal person. Every time he opened and closed a door it was done in rage. When he entered his apartment the door received the same treatment and the resulting sound reverberated off the walls, jolting the entire room.

Christine had a live in boyfriend. More than that, the pajama wearing, mop headed, cell phone addict had moved across the country to be with her. That alone told him it was a serious, long term relationship that could overcome anything. Well hopefully not anything.

Erik went through his apartment, into his hall closet and grabbed bags and a suitcase. When he got to his bedroom he started tossing every item of clothing he had into the largest pieces of luggage he owned. He didn't know how long he was going to be gone, but he had to have enough. He went into the adjoining bathroom and grabbed his shaving items and other necessities. When he had everything he thought he would need into the three bags he turned to look at the locked drawer at the bottom of his dresser.

Picking up the key off the top of his nightstand he unlocked the bottom drawer and opened it. He stared down at the violin case that held his graceful instrument. It could make a noise that saddened or even soothed its listener, with the right musician. With a deep breath he took the case out of its prison and laid it out on the surface of his bed. Without hesitation he opened the leather casing and looked at the one thing that had always been so close but so far away. He never thought he would be able to play it again, but now it was a necessity.

With finality he closed the case, picked it up along with the rest of his luggage and headed out of his apartment without a backwards glance.

When he got inside his car he headed towards the airport. As he got on the highway leading to the one place he had visited more times in the last week then his entire life, he brought Stephanie Emer's number up on the screen. With one sure decision he hit call and waited through the ringing for his aunt's voice to answer.

"This is Stephanie."

"Stephanie, it's Erik." He said, determined.

"Oh, Erik. How have you been? Have you made your decision?" Stephanie asked, excitement lighting her words. She would always get straight to the point when she had been waiting for an answer for some time.

"Yes I have made my decision." Erik said clearing his throat for the next bit of information he would tell her. "I am coming to New York. I hope that position is still available."

"Of course, it's been waiting for you. May I ask what changed your mind?" she asked with an inquisitive tone to her voice.

It had been a long time since he had let his music come out and even just saying the words made his whole body shake with doubt and anxiety. "I need my music to be heard."

**xXx**

_New York Metropolitan Hospital Center_

As Christine sat on the crisp paper that crackled at every movement she made, she played with her fingers and started to hum a tune that had been playing in her head since that morning. The last time she had a song in her head that was so overpowering that it poured through her lips was before she left New York to move to Boston. Now she had a melody flowing through her brain like shock waves and she didn't recognize it as a song she heard on the radio or on TV. It must have come from her imagination, a new creation.

She had ended her conversation with Frank only ten minutes ago and she couldn't stop smiling. The thought of Erik looking for her, the Erik that had left and disappeared off the New York radar thirteen years ago, was looking for her. She could only imagine what he looked like now. Did he still wear the mask? Did he still play his violin? Where has he been all this time? She knew that the second she left the hospital today she would make sure to find all the information she could on him, from the internet or from a primary source. She would find any way of finding him and helping him find her faster. All she had dreamed about for the past decade was having his arms around her again, his music ringing in her ears again.

She started fidgeting at her displeasure to get the doctor in there to give her the check-up she was overdue for and go over her history. She had changed from her street clothes to the papery hospital gown quickly and now she'd been sitting and waiting for eight minutes.

Just when she thought she couldn't handle the wait any longer, Doctor Harris and a nurse practitioner came into the room. The nurse came up to her first and started preparing her to get her blood tested. She put the rubber band around her upper arm and had her make a fist before wiping the inside of her elbow and pricking her with a needle and drawing enough blood for the testing.

When she left to send her blood to the laboratory, Dr. Harris came forward holding a large binder that he had collected from her history of her 34 years. It was a lot of paper, so much that Christine could only imagine how much paperwork there would be for a person that was in and out of the hospital all their lives. Christine had always been healthy and she rarely came to the hospital in her life. Yet there was so much paperwork.

"Now Christine, this may seem like a lot of paperwork, but it shouldn't take too long to go through." He reassured her at seeing her unbelieving and impatient expression. He put the binder on the counter next to the sink and opened it to start sifting through for anything that could hint towards her having the disease her father was currently dying from.

The nurse came back in and started to go through her instructed duties.

Christine leaned back until she was lying on the tall bed and tissue paper. The nurse started off checking her vitals and sticking a light in her mouth, ears, nose, and eyes. When she finished that she started checking for breast lumps and the rhythm of her heart rate. Christine was then instructed to pull her gown up for the reflex test.

As the nurse started poking at her stomach she noticed the large faded scar that was a couple inches under her navel.

"Doctor, she had a C-section." The nurse spoke to inform the doctor of her having a child.

The doctor came over to see the fifteen inch scar questioningly and went back over to the paperwork.

"May I ask where your child is? He or she should probably get tested for this as well, very unlikely, but better safe than sorry."

Christine's earlier thoughts of hope and happiness at seeing Erik again faded in an instant at that question. She could feel her heart drop into her stomach and tears that she had held back for so long were ready to fall.

"I don't have her anymore. She died shortly after I gave birth." She said hoping that the doctor wouldn't continue by apologizing or giving her condolences.

"Um… well that information isn't in here. That's strange. May I ask who your OBGYN was?"

Christine was surprised that they would ask about her pregnancy doctor. "Doctor Sarah Wells."

Harris went over to the phone that sat on the wall in every hospital room and dialed two numbers, the line that would reach OBGYN division.

"Yes, Sarah Wells please." The doctor said through the phone and waited for another response. "Yes Sarah, this is Harris, would you mind coming down here? I have one of your past patients and I need your advice on something. Her name is Christine Darden, bring her file. Thanks." He said before hanging up.

Christine was completely at a loss for words. What was so important that they had to call her obstetrician? Was there something about her C-section that could affect her having Wilson's disease? She couldn't believe that being the reason, but still she couldn't keep her curiosity and worry from pouring forth.

"Why did you call Dr. Wells? Is there something wrong?"

"I am not sure. That's why I called her." The doctor said continuing to go through her files.

After a few more minutes of silence throughout the room, Harris going through her file and seeing nothing connected to Wilson's disease, the nurse going over the physical exam and Christine lying there like a helpless fish out of water, she heard the soft knock on the door. Her heart was pulsing faster in her chest from not knowing what was going on and the fact that no one was willing to explain.

"Christine, how have you been?" Sarah said when she opened the door. Her once red hair now had streaks of grey in it and she had a few more wrinkles around her eyes and mouth.

"I'm alright. Will someone please explain to me what is going on?" she said, breathing heavily from nervousness to the point that she thought she might need a paper bag.

The two doctors came over to the bed and the nurse had just finished her examination so she left to check on other patients. Christine was relieved that there was one less person in the room; she needed all the fresh oxygen she could get in the cramped room.

"I was curious of the fact that you said your daughter died here in the hospital, yet there wasn't anything in the chart saying that. So I brought Sarah in to ask her about that." Harris said turning to Wells and looking at the chart in her hand. His eyebrows pulled together in concern.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" Wells said in confusion towards Harris's statement. "I just looked over her chart on the way here and her baby didn't die in this hospital."

"Yes, she did." Christine said, suddenly very frustrated with this painful conversation. "I never got to even hold her. I never got to see her precious face." Tears were definitely falling now at the fact that she hadn't even seen what her daughter looked like. She angrily wiped them away.

"Christine… she didn't die. You gave her up for adoption." Wells said with a sure, unmistaken expression and a soft, calming voice.

Christine's heart was definitely beating against her ribs as if it was trying to tear itself from her body. She didn't believe what the doctor was saying and in denial she responded, "I would never give my daughter up for adoption. I think you have me and another patient mixed up."

"Well than how do you explain your signature here at the bottom of these adoption papers?" she said opening the folder and flipping to one of the last pages. She turned the copied piece of paper to show Christine.

Christine practically ripped the paper from the doctor's hands and looked close at the lines that read _'baby girl'_ and _'adoptive child' _and_ 'parental consent'_. When she saw the line that read father's consent she recognized Raoul's scribbles that he used as a signature. She felt the need to crumble the paper up and throw it away as if it wouldn't exist if it were a ball of trash. But before she could allow her hand's to ball into fists and crinkle the paper she saw the line that read mother's consent and saw a signature that wasn't hers sitting on the dotted line. What she did recognize about it was the same C that was used in Chaney was used for Christine.

One thought ran through her mind until she became dizzy. _'Raoul, you will be lucky if the police can recognize you are a full grown man when I am done with you.'_

After the fury and complete distrust towards Raoul and his cruel act of betrayal she found another thought that overwhelmed her mind. _'My baby is alive.'_ Before she could even jump off the hospital bed and go look for her child her body shut down as quickly as a city receives a blackout. She fell against the firm pillow and was only given one choice, succumb to the darkness.

**xXx**

**This chapter was sort of a gateway chapter… well for Lyla and Erik. Christine's part was really important. But the reason that I didn't put a lot of information into Erik and Lyla's parts is because it is just a middle space. They had a lot going on before and now it is just the middle lane and next chapter it will be another dramatic turn for them. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please leave a review! I love to read what you guys think! : )**


	15. So Close Yet So Far

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Hope you all had a great holiday! Got what you wanted for Christmas, ate loads of pie and peppermint cookies, or went shopping with your new gift cards! That, to me, is the best part. I got 2 pairs of boots at Aeropostale for $30 bucks when they would have been $120. I love sales! Hope you had a great last day of 2012 as well! I can't believe it is already 2013! Anyway on with the story!**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 15: So Close Yet So Far

**xXx **

'_That was a lot of wishful thinking for one dream.'_ Christine thought as she felt the haze of sleep drift away. _'Why does my subconscious have to tease me with the chance of Erik looking for me and the discovery of my little girl being alive and breathing?'_

As if she just had a disturbing nightmare Christine turned on her side in anguish, hoping to die in the fetal position. As she shifted on her side she heard a rustling noise that came with her movement. Her immediate thought was that she had fallen asleep on fashion sketches or important documents that Melinda had told her to read, but when she opened her eyes and looked down at the bed she was vacating she noticed it was a doctor's office bed with the thin tissue paper covering.

She shot up on the bed and looked around the room in astonishment. She was in the same room that she was in in her dream. She was wearing the hospital gown that she had changed into before her physical in the dream and Dr. Harris and Dr. Wells were in the room with her like they had been in her dream. _'Oh my God, the dream was real?' _

"Christine, are you alright?" Dr. Wells said coming over to sit beside her like a mother trying to comfort her child.

The only thing on Christine's mind was her baby. She had to find her. She couldn't waste any more time being a foolish mess. She jumped off the bed and grabbed the bag of her clothes and started to put them on even with Dr. Wells and Dr. Harris still in the room with her.

"I had no idea, Christine. I am so sorry. I should have known that you wouldn't have put her up for adoption, but as a doctor I'm not allowed to steer a patient's decision. I thought if I brought it up I would be breaking that rule."

"Where is she? I need to know where she is!" Christine said anxiously as she put her shirt on and grabbed her purse, completely ignoring Dr. Wells' explanations.

"I don't have the knowledge of where she is. She just went through the adoption agency."

Christine ran out of the room disregarding the doctor's protest and apologies that faded behind her. As she flew down the hall past sick patients and overworked doctors she thought over all the signs that had been right in front of her trying to tell her the truth.

She had dreams about being a mother and caring for a girl that had bright blue eyes like Erik's and chocolate curls like her. She had seen mothers with their children and instead of a pain of loss hitting her, she would feel the presence of an unfulfilled promise.

When she got on the elevator she was left alone to feel the tears wash down her face. She could feel the seconds tick by as the elevator glided down to the lobby and it felt like an eternity later when the doors opened and she rushed out.

She ran out into the street and with no taxis in sight and no clue as to where to go in finding her daughter she headed back towards the park that she had seen Raoul in, furious. She hoped that he was still there so she could give him a piece of her mind.

When she found the spot, he was no longer there. She didn't blame him, she had threatened she would call the police and he probably ran off in fear of staying in one place for too long. But she was pissed that he hadn't stayed. It made her journey to kicking his ass and finding out where her daughter is much harder.

At that moment she realized she had a piece of paper tightly gripped in her fist. She looked down to see it was the adoption papers that she had been holding before she fainted. She had no idea how it had stayed in her hand for so long without her realization, but as she looked down at it she stared at all the smudged ink words and the signatures Raoul had faked. Just underneath was a faded stamp that said New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

With a newfound hope, she looked up at her surroundings and ran to the closest street. When she got to the sidewalk she started to hail a cab and after a few attempts someone finally stopped and she hopped in.

"New York State Office of Children and Family Services, please." Christine said in a blur that surprisingly the driver understood.

After a few minutes of shaken adrenaline that was built up in her she reached her destination and paid the driver. She climbed out of the car and looked at the large looming building that had wide stairs reaching the doors. The look of the building made her think with each step up the stairs she was getting closer and closer to what she cried herself to sleep over for the past thirteen years. With a determined step she walked up to the entrance and pulled on the door.

When she entered, it was definitely not what she expected. She assumed it would be a bright building with clean floors and walls and colorful people, but what she walked into was gray walls, plain white tiled floors and people wearing black, grey or white. It was almost as dark as her attitude and the world she saw in her mind.

When she realized she had been standing in the doorway for five minutes looking at her surroundings and being consumed by her dark thoughts the woman at the receptionists desk stood to get her attention.

"Can I help you with something Ma'am?" she said.

Christine looked down at the papers in her hand and stared longingly at the words _'baby girl'_. "Yes. I need to find my thirteen year old daughter." She said walking forward so the woman could take a look at the papers. "I just found out that she is alive. I was told she had died after I gave birth to her."

The woman's eyes widened at what she said and looked down at the papers. "This isn't your signature?"

"No. My fiancé at the time forged my signature and signed his name even though he wasn't the father." Christine knew she sounded like a whore from that last statement, but she was past caring. All she cared about was finding her daughter.

"Well I am going to get a hold of the social worker on this case. He will be able to help you a lot more." The woman said before going back to sit down and typing something into the computer. After a few scrolls of the mouse and a couple clicks to different links, she found the social worker on the case.

"Here you go, his name is William Ross. He is on the third floor, second door on your left. You can take the elevator." The woman said handing back Christine's adoption papers.

"Thank you." Christine said genuinely, before heading to her destination.

"I hope you find your daughter." She said as a last note.

Christine turned back to the woman and quietly said, "I hope so too."

When the doors to the elevator opened she walked on and selected the number three before heading up to the man that hopefully could help her find the missing piece of her heart.

When she took the directions the receptionist had told her to take she found herself in a large space filled with cubicles and offices surrounding them. There were papers all over the place and cluttered spaces and people walking all over the place slightly making Christine dizzy.

She found someone to talk to and when they looked at her like she might be in the wrong place she said, "I'm looking for William Ross."

"Mr. Ross's office is right over there." The man said turning to point at a room on the far side of the space.

She could see the door was closed and there was a large man with a messy beard and mustache sitting behind the desk. He was sifting through paperwork and he had glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

Christine hurried over to the man's office and just as she reached it the man was walking out with his briefcase and a to-go coffee mug in his hand.

"Excuse me, sir. I was told you were William Ross." Christine said, stretching out her hand for a shake.

The man looked at her as if she was just another obstacle keeping him from going anywhere. "Yes. Can I help you?" he said in a deep tinder voice.

Christine just handed him her adoption papers as if he would understand what happened to her by the signatures on the paper. She was tired of explaining her story to everyone, but she would do it to everyone on the streets of New York if it helped her find her daughter.

"You put your baby up for adoption? Are you trying to reconnect with her?" the man said looking back up at her as if that was the only thing he dealt with on a daily basis.

Christine quickly spouted off everything she had learned since ten that morning, Raoul's betrayal, her daughter being alive after being told that she had died after giving birth, the forged signatures and the adoption that followed after.

When she was finished William's eyes had turned to round saucers under his thin glasses and he looked at her in disbelief. Her tears, her body language and her panic all brought the truth home and he couldn't deny that what she was saying was true.

Another thought overcame him when he realized his department had taken a child illegally. He looked at the woman with fear when he realized he couldn't handle someone sucking all their money on a lawsuit and possibly losing his job over it. But this woman didn't have vengeance or anger in her eyes, she only wanted her daughter.

"Come inside. I will find your daughter." he said pushing her into his office with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

**xXx**

Stephanie had a car waiting for Erik outside JFK Airport when he got off the plane. When he got into the back of the sleek black car he called Stephanie while the driver dealt with his luggage.

"Stephanie, I need you to set up a meeting for me with the director of the Philharmonic and the composer for tomorrow. I just want a chance to get back in the hang of things." He said after she answered.

"It's already done. You will be seeing them in the conference room on the first floor of the main building tomorrow at two." She said with a slightly proud voice.

"I don't know how I survived without you for thirteen years." Erik said jokingly.

"Hopefully you won't want to leave again then." She said with a laugh.

After Stephanie hung up Erik thought over the last thing she said. He hoped that he found Christine, the reason he had come. He would have no reason to go back to Los Angeles. He would be happy to get back to being a Juilliard musician while Christine sang and followed through with her dream of writing songs and making albums. He wanted to start a family with her and maybe find their child that had been falsely given up for adoption. He can see them all sitting in bed reading the entertainment and music section of the newspaper or listening to classical music in the car on the way to a concert. He envisioned a life with Christine since the moment he saw her, now that he knows they have a child, they all became magnified.

When the driver sat in the front and started to merge into the busy streets Erik got his attention.

"Before we go to the hotel… can we make a quick detour?"

After acceptance from the driver they headed onto the expressway and towards Brooklyn. After over an hour through traffic and accidents that cluttered the way every day they reached Brooklyn Heights. Every house looked the same, made of brick, tall like an apartment complex, and had stone staircases leading up to the door. After fifteen years of being away he would always remember which house he was looking for. It had after all been his childhood home, the home his mother had set up a life for him in.

"Stop here." He told the driver.

When the driver got the car in park on the side of the road amongst a few other expensive cars Erik turned to the driver and said,

"Go ahead, I will take my bags and check in at the hotel later." Erik said before opening the door.

Before the driver could get out of the car and help him with his bags he had already taken care of it and walked back onto the sidewalk.

With his bags in his hands he looked up at the stone building and darkened windows. He heard the car behind him drive off and he took that as a queue to walk up the wide steps and knock on the large black door. It only took a minute for the door to open and for him to face his mother that he hadn't seen or talked to in over a decade.

"Erik?" Annabelle exclaimed in surprise and happiness.

Before he could muster a hello or even an apology for being so distant she walked down onto the steps and hugged him. She was much shorter than him making her head rest on his chest and her arms wrap around his waist with a tight squeeze. Erik dropped his bags and hugged her back, already feeling much happier than he had in a long time.

"I can't believe you are here. Come in." she said grabbing one of his bags and ushering him into the house.

She closed the door behind him and just took in his presence. "I can't believe how much you have changed, different hair, different clothes, everything."

"I'm a different person now, Mom." He said looking her over with surprise.

She had once been an elegant woman, her hair streaked with gray and her face covered in make-up to hide her wrinkles, but now she had embraced her age and had shorter completely gray hair that was styled and curled to rest on her shoulders and she had a tad bit of make-up on, not enough to cover her wrinkles, but to add color to her pale complexion. She used to wear business attire or wonderful dresses during the day, but now she stood in front of Erik wearing dark jeans and a button down blouse. Erik didn't think a person could change that much, but he had been wrong.

After the initial shock they sat down in the living room and talked about how their lives have been since they parted. Erik told her he had become a well-known music agent in Los Angeles that covered singers with exceptional talent. He had stayed a reclusive man and avoided people at all cost. He had just lost his interest in human company since leaving New York, since losing Christine. He explained his reasons for coming and told her everything, the fact that he had lost his music after meeting a girl that broke his heart, the discussion he had with Frank Nelson revealing everything that was true, and his need to play the violin at the Fall Philharmonic to be reunited with her again.

Annabelle looked like she had stumbled into a love story. She had tears in her eyes and her mouth was gaped open in amazement. When she was able to compose herself she hugged him again comfortingly.

"You will be reunited with this woman. I can feel it. Just let me meet her when you do, I want to know this young lady that stole your heart."

Erik could see that truth in her eyes that he had seen all growing up. Every time he had a bad dream she would calm him by saying there were no such things as Bigfoot or Frankenstein's monster and she had that light in her eyes that made him believe it was true. She had that light in her eyes now and he knew that he would be reunited with Christine one day.

"Now, I have to go to the grocery store and get the ingredients for your favorite meal. It's still spaghetti and meatballs right?" she said all smiles as she went to the front room and got her purse off the hook.

Erik never had the guts to tell her that it wasn't his favorite meal anymore. It hadn't been since he was fifteen, when he discovered steak and mashed potatoes went well together. It had been his favorite meal because it was the first thing she ever made him when he came to live with her. He guessed she just always wanted to keep the thought of him being nine years old present in her mind.

"Yeah, I am just going to go somewhere and I will be back before dinner." Erik said as he stood and walked out of the house with her.

"Where are you going?" she said curiously. "I could give you a ride."

"No don't worry I will take a cab. I want spaghetti waiting for me when I get back." He said lightheartedly before giving her a kiss on the head.

**xXx**

The music got louder with every step he took. The music was building up inside of him as if it had been lying dormant for so long and wanted to break through. Past the trees and through the path he could see the bridge curved over the pond. It was empty and he was free to see the place on his own without tourists walking by and taking pictures. The music was reaching its crescendo when he saw the bridge, but now as he got closer and reached out to touch the moss covered stones it burst in his ears until he couldn't hear anything else. Just touching this place and feeling it surrounding him, he felt the electricity of Christine's lips on his and the warmth of her voice surrounding him as he played his violin all those years ago.

Their whole first meeting flashed before his eyes as if he was watching Christine and himself standing in the middle of the bridge talking in the moonlight. He watched as he introduced himself and she stared at his mask in familiarity instead of surprise. He watched as he pulled his violin out of its case and played for her while she sang a song of her own creation._ 'Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye'. _To this day he could remember the slight tremor in her voice from the emotion of her own words. He remembered the moment he realized it was her voice, the voice that he had heard while at the concert, the last concert he had performed in. He remembered the way the cool night air had brushed her hair away from her face before he could. Every part of that night had been magical and full of promise, until a lying, evil snake slithered into their path.

He looked up at the sky, marveling in the knowledge that one day he would be reunited with Christine. But as he looked up to the clouds that had been white moments before they had been replaced with gray storm clouds. They covered the sun like a heavy blanket making everything darker. Erik felt a rain drop land on his unmasked cheek and relished in the feeling of something wet on his cheek other than tears. He had no reason to cry now. He was home. He was going to find Christine. He was going to find their child. He had his music back. He had the inspiration he needed to compose music. He was in front of this bridge now without tears, but with hope filling his soul.

A crash of thunder broke him from his thoughts and he looked up to the sky again to see the clouds had moved in quickly and drops of rain were falling sporadically. He looked back down at the dirty water and lily pads to see his reflection ripple through the falls of rain that were starting to grow more frequent. This is what he missed from New York, the calm, peaceful park and the busyness of the city faded to the background. Once the rain had started to fall down heavily he pulled his coat around him tighter and walked away from the bridge and towards the street.

**xXx**

Once Lyla felt safe enough to venture into the city again she got off the subway train and onto the platform. She didn't know how far she went or where she was now, but she had a feeling she wasn't in Manhattan anymore. She was about to turn around to get back on the train, but then realized that fate was bringing her here for a reason. She had to follow the trail it was bringing her on.

She climbed the stairs leading up to the streets and found it was less busy than Manhattan. Manhattan had streets crowded with honking cars and people slipped by others on the sidewalks as if they were all rushing to get somewhere. The buildings were all large and touching the sky and statues would take up the majority of the open space that was left over.

Wherever she was now consisted of brick buildings, trees on the sidewalks and one large park that she could see at the end of the street. The only people she saw were walking down the sidewalks or sitting in their cars as they drove by. The streets were less crowded and they all looked like side roads she had seen in Glendale.

As she walked in no sure direction she thought about the beautiful angel that had saved them from Genius. She had looked very familiar somehow. As if she had come to her in a dream or she had seen her on the street before. The feeling of her hand holding hers as they walked from the park to the hospital was warm and gentle as if she were meant to be her protector. She had wished that the woman hadn't left her with the police; she wanted her to stay with her and help her. But she had slipped into the elevator and left her behind.

She missed Ryan. He had been with her since she came to the city and without him she felt lost. She had been lost since she got there, but with him she felt like she was safe and knew her way around, she felt like she could do anything. But he had deserted her too and gone off on his own, leaving her in the hands of those uniformed men.

Lyla wondered what she would be doing now if she hadn't run from them. Would they have found out she was a runaway and send her back to Glendale? Would they have put her in the hands of social services? She didn't want to think about what would have happened to her, the thought of leaving the city and going back to that home for children made her fume.

She didn't realize how long she had been walking, but the sun had hidden behind gray clouds making it look later than it probably was. When rain started to pummel down on her as if she were under a shower head she ran for cover and found nothing that could keep her from the cold rain. All the trash cans had bars around them like a cage and there were no lids accompanying them. There were no thick trees to huddle under or outstretched awnings to stand under.

She continued running down the road until she rounded a corner and saw a large staircase connected to one of the stone buildings. She huddled next to it and found a small alcove to fit into that could keep her free from the rain.

She stayed under there for a few minutes, resting and waiting for the rain to lessen, until she heard a car pull up in front of the house. She peered around to see a sleek silver car sitting on the side of the road and an older woman holding a paper bag filled with food. Lyla huddled farther inside the alcove, out of sight. She didn't want the woman to see her and shoo her away like an unwanted rat or worse call the police.

The woman walked forward with the bag in her hand and her umbrella keeping her dry. When she climbed the steps and started fumbling with her keys she got the door open and with a clearing of her throat spoke,

"You will catch a cold sitting out here in the rain, honey."

Lyla peered out of the cubby again and saw that the woman was looking down at her. _'How did she see me?' _Lyla thought. All growing up she had hidden from the counselors and other children easily and was almost never found. Hide and Seek had been her game because she could stay hidden for hours and always win because the other children would give up. Now this woman had seen her so easily and… was inviting her in?

"Darling, you look like you haven't had a good place to rest in days. Come inside and I will give you something to eat and a place to sleep." The woman said walking inside to place her bag on a table out of view.

Lyla hesitantly stood and walked around the stairs. She climbed them slowly as if any moment the woman would slam the door in her face with a laugh. When she reached the threshold and the woman hadn't pushed her away she entered the house and looked at her surroundings.

The front hall was beautiful, an ornate rug on the floor and black and white pictures of relatives hanging on the walls. There were stairs leading up to a second floor with closed doors. She turned to see a living room that had beautiful, floral patterned couches and chairs surrounding a mahogany coffee table. There was a small TV sitting in the corner on a little table that looked like it hadn't been used in a while. She walked through and saw a dining room table that had six sets of fine china set out for presentation. There was a china cabinet and bookcase in the room on opposite walls along with more pictures of family by the looks of it.

Lyla jumped when she heard the sound of pans clattering in a room past the dining room. She walked through the swinging door to see the older woman setting a pot on the stove and lighting the fire.

"Come in. You can have a seat right there." The lady said gesturing to a smaller table in the corner.

When Lyla sat down she continued to watch what the woman was doing as she picked her nails nervously.

"What's your name, hun?" she said as she grabbed a box of pasta from the cupboard and set it next to the boiling water.

Lyla wasn't about to give her name to someone she didn't know in fear of getting found out that she was a runaway. She had already made that mistake with the police. She looked around the room quickly looking for inspiration. When she saw the sunflower curtains on the windows she immediately thought of summer and the fields by the Glendale home that were filled with them.

"Summer."

"That is a beautiful name. Is that your favorite season as well?" she asked trying to get the girl to feel comfortable.

Lyla just shrugged as she had always loved every season and could never decide which she liked most.

"Well I hope you like pasta. It should fill your empty stomach." She said as the water stated to boil and she poured the pasta into the pot.

Lyla immediately brightened. She had always loved pasta. No matter how it was made, with tomato sauce, smothered in butter, or plain with cheese sprinkled on top. It didn't matter to her and her stomach rumbled at the thought of eating something delicious for the first time in a while.

After a few more minutes of patiently waiting the lady set up a plate of the steaming food and placed it in front of Lyla with a fork.

Lyla had lost all thoughts for manners and dug in quickly. It was the first time she realized she hadn't eaten anything but a hotdog and slice of pizza in the whole week she had been in New York City and with a full plate of pasta and sauce in front of her she couldn't help but shovel it down.

"Where are your parents?" the lady asked.

Lyla had yet to figure out what to tell people when they asked that so she just shrugged innocently and kept stuffing her face with carbs and protein.

She thought she heard the lady mutter "that's what I thought" but was too busy eating.

"I will let you stay the night and help you find them tomorrow. Does that sound alright?"

Lyla immediately looked up and her eyes brightened. This woman was the first person to genuinely say she would help find her parents and hadn't called the police. She was thankful that she had stumbled across this grandmotherly person. The thought she had earlier of getting back on the subway train was foolish and she was happy that she had decided to let fate drive her future.

When Lyla finished two servings of her meal, the lady brought her up the stairs and opened a door on the right.

"My room is right across the hall if you need anything and the bathroom is right next door. This was my son's room so sorry about the clutter."

Lyla had walked into a room that was definitely fit for a boy. There was a twin sized bed with a dark blue comforter and every piece of furniture looked like it was from a set. The floor was hardwood and the walls were a lighter blue than the comforter. There were posters on the walls, one was a rock band she never heard of and the other was a classic novel cover. She looked at a picture on the dresser of a red headed guy wearing a graduation cap and gown standing with the woman Lyla was thankful for.

When she looked back to the bed she suddenly felt the heaviness of her eye lids and realized how tired she was. She turned back to the woman to say thank you and she nodded nicely before closing the door behind her. Lyla immediately climbed onto the bed and huddled into a ball before drifting into a heavy sleep within minutes.

**xXx**

The sun came up and filtered through the windows, blindingly, waking Lyla from her heavy sleep. Feeling that she had a sufficient amount of rest she climbed out of the bed and walked across the floor to open the bedroom door.

When she got down stairs she could smell something heavenly coming from the kitchen. She hurried to reach the door and when she did she heard the lady from yesterday talking to someone. She hadn't processed the fact that someone was in the house with them until she opened the kitchen door.

She saw the lady standing in front of the stove flipping bacon in a pan and cinnamon rolls were toasty and warm sitting on the stove top.

"Good Morning, Summer. Would you like a cinnamon roll and bacon?" she asked seeing the refreshed child.

"Yes please." She said with a smile.

"Oh, Summer, this is my son. He came in last night from the pouring rain. Almost looked as wet as you did." She said after Lyla turned to see a man sitting in the seat she had been in last night.

The man was not the boy from the graduation picture. He had dark hair and sharp features. Not to mention the mask that was on the right side of his face.

**xXx**

**I know I am evil! I am trying to work on Win a Weekend with Christine Day in between chapters of this and Unsinkable so that when I am ready to upload chapters of it I will have a few ready to go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review!**


	16. Coincidence

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am just borrowing them for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: I have nothing to say except please enjoy!**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 16: Coincidence

**xXx**

Christine rushed back through the depressing lobby, making her way to the elevators and up to William Ross's office again.

Yesterday when she walked into William's office the first thing she noticed was the rain thumping against the window as it poured down heavily. She was surprised by the change in weather since it had been a warm summer day with the sun high in the sky five minutes earlier and it was coming down in large droplets and a hint of thunder rumbling in the dark clouds.

Before Mr. Ross could get his computer back up lightening had struck and all the lights and computers shut down immediately. Fear shot up inside of her as the darkness surrounded her, but once she realized what had happened she wanted to curse to the heavens for delaying seeing her daughter. All she wanted was a picture. She wanted the faceless, blurry twelve year old girl in her mind to become real and focused.

William had started apologizing profusely and explaining that the buildings generator was on the fritz. From his attitude she knew that she wouldn't get a chance for her dream to be fulfilled today. She groaned in frustration before walking out of the office.

She spent the rest of the day at the hospital watching her father. She felt like she had abandoned him, he only had a few days left, if he was lucky. She felt like her daughter and her sick father was pulling her in opposite directions and she was going to tear in half.

She stayed with him all night and watched his sleeping form. With everything running through her mind and unstopping she couldn't get her mind to slow down enough to get some sleep. A couple times the nurses would come in to check on him, but they were too afraid of Christine to tell her that visiting hours were over. No one dared mess with her in the tired and anxious state she was in.

Ten the next morning, she found herself bent over, her head was resting on her father's weightless hand and her hands were enveloped in his. He was still sleeping, the way he had been the whole night, and she didn't see him waking anytime soon.

She gave him a light kiss on his cool forehead before leaving the hospital and heading back to William's office.

"Please have a seat, Miss Darden." William said as she walked into his office. She walked over to the worn out red chair in the corner and sat down. "Let me start up my computer again and try and get connected. I am sorry about yesterday. Let's just get your information in here."

She started to pick at her nails and her leg had a life of its own, two habits she couldn't quite get rid of when she was nervous. She was visibly shaking and her teeth were chattering as if she was standing in the middle of a snowstorm. In the back of her mind she could hear herself humming.

"What are you humming?"

She was cut from her anxiety when William asked her a question. "I'm sorry?"

"I was just wondering what you were singing? I was at a home for children a couple weeks ago, one of the girls I was talking to left the room humming something very similar to that. I am wondering if it is some new song on the radio that I have been missing." He said with a chuckle.

"No actually. It's some tune that came to me a couple days ago. Did you just say that a girl was humming the same thing?" Christine said knitting her brows together in confusion.

"Yeah, strange right?" he said, brushing it off as coincidence. He looked from her paperwork to the computer screen and kept typing information in.

"Alright, birthday?" he murmured to himself looking at the papers.

"March 25, 2001."

Christine would never forget that day. It had started off with a good check-up appointment with her OBGYN. Afterwards she went out to lunch with her father before separating to go to the bridge in Central Park. She had gone there countless times before hoping Erik would be there waiting for her. She had stayed there for a few hours, letting time slip away, until her water broke. Everything after that went by in a blur of people, lights, noises and medications. She had woken the next day to find out her daughter hadn't lived.

Now after all that trauma and years of loneliness, she was determined to have that reunion she deserved.

William typed in the date of birth, hospital name and the date that the adoption had been filed. He leaned back in his chair causing it to squeak under the pressure while the computer loaded the results.

Christine leaned back in her seat and covered her mouth with her hand to hold back the sobs that were ready to pour out. Her heart was beating against her rib cage like a rock was banging against drums. She forced herself to take slow deep breaths and to make her leg stop shaking. She was wondering why the computer was taking so long to load. Her only wish was that her daughter wasn't placed with a family already and she would be free to come home with her.

William Ross's face froze and he leaned in closer to the screen. Christine couldn't see it from where she was, but the look on his face made her forget all about breathing. His eyes had widened and he started to get flustered.

"Hold on a sec." he said as he stood from his seat and walked over to a file cabinet. He started flipping through files and looking for a particular picture.

Christine's legs had turned to jello, making it impossible to stand. His expression looked astonished, scared and confused. The only thing she could think of that would make him look like that is if her daughter was dead or missing or too far gone for her to try and get her back. Any of those thoughts just made the tears start to fall.

She wiped them away harshly when William closed the cabinet and turned back to face her. He was holding a manila folder in his hands and he sat back down in his seat.

"Inside this folder is your daughter. A picture, bio, any information you might need. That song in your head was in hers as well. You two must be connected by music or something." He looked down at the folder and held it out to her.

Christine was afraid to take it, she was afraid to look at the picture. Seconds before, she couldn't wait to get her hands on her daughter, but now that it was in front of her she was hesitant. She reached out and took it from his outstretched hand.

With a deep breath she opened the folder and looked down at big beautiful eyes of the man she loved. She had envisioned her daughter having his eyes. She looked at the cascading brown curls she had inherited from her and the pale complexion and light dusting of freckles on her nose. What she hadn't expected from this discovery was that she knew her.

**xXx **

Lyla didn't know what to think of this masked man sitting beside her. The older woman that had given her a place to sleep and fed her said he was her son so she knew that he wasn't a danger to her. The mask was just a strange thing to see on a person's face when it wasn't Halloween. He also had this air around him that radiated good and protectiveness. She felt comfortable near him.

"Summer? That's an interesting name. I'm Erik." Erik said wiping the bacon grease off his fingers with a napkin before outstretching his hand for a polite shake.

Lyla felt more comfortable around him now. His voice was like a soothing melody that the counselors at the Glendale house would sing to her at night. He had a calming, peaceful sound that made her, without hesitation, grab his hand and shake back.

His hand was large compared to hers and enveloped her fingers and palm in warmth. Parts of his fingers were rough as if something rubbed against his skin coarsely countless times, but that didn't matter to her. He was all together a warm presence and kept her heart from beating like a drill in the ground.

The older lady cut off her thoughts to say, "I know. I thought the same thing. The definition of popular names is changing so quickly. When I was born, they were all Beth's, Annabelle's and Grace's. Now there are Summer's and Lilly's. Oh and what did Gwyneth Paltrow name her daughter, oh that's right, Apple. Such strange times."

"Would you like some more?"

Lyla looked up from her empty plate to see Erik staring from her face to her empty plate in question. She had shoved her breakfast in her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in a month and she was still hungry. With a simple nod Erik stood and took her plate to the stove. He placed another cinnamon bun and a couple strips of bacon on the plate and brought it back over to her.

"Thanks." Lyla said with a shy smile.

"Thank you Mom for letting me stay the night. I should probably bring my stuff to the hotel now." Erik said taking his plate and coffee cup to the sink and rinsing them off.

"Alright. Where are you staying?"

"The London. Stephanie insisted I stay someplace comfortable. I probably won't be staying there for long though, I would rather get my own place."

"You… you want to stay in New York?"

"Yeah, I miss it here. This is where I should be. I know I still have a job in LA, but I will figure something out."

"Oh I am so glad." The older woman said grabbing him and giving him a tight hug. "Well you better go and get settled into the hotel. Do you want me to ask anyone if they know of apartments around the city that are available?"

"No don't worry about it. I will just get the paper and check the listings." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading for the kitchen door. "It was nice to meet you, Summer."

"Nice to meet you too." She answered, after finishing her second cinnamon roll.

The older woman let out a heavy sigh and turned to the sink to wash the dishes that were sitting there. When Lyla finished her bacon she waked up behind her and put the plate down on the counter. She noticed that the woman had tears in her eyes and a large smile on her face.

"Oh thank you." She said as she grabbed her plate and soaked it in soapy water. She turned off the faucet and turned to face her. "Well we should probably get ahead on finding your parents."

Lyla's face immediately brightened and she nodded vigorously. The moment she had been waiting for was about to arrive.

They quickly got ready to leave and got into Annabelle's car. When she turned on the ignition a classical piano noise poured through the speakers and immediately made the tensing in Lyla's muscles loosen and let her calm.

"So I think the first thing we should do is go to the police. They could help in finding if there are any parents that came in looking for their daughter."

Lyla immediately tensed back up and hurriedly thought of an excuse to not go there. She blurted out the first idea that came to mind. "I already went to the police station and they didn't have any parents come in."

"They couldn't have just let you leave?" she said dumbfounded.

"No I kind of left to check other stations and no one had parents come in until I found myself under your stairs." Lyla was impressed with her lying ability. She had never lied this much before.

"Do you know your address or your parent's names?"

Lyla could only shake her head. It was the first truth she had spoken all day. He could feel her parents slipping farther away from her and all hope of getting Annabelle to help her. She was trying, she could see that, but she could tell that the options were running out.

"Okay. What's your last name?" she asked as they were driving down the street and heading onto the highway.

This was the moment she had been dreading. She couldn't tell her real last name or it would come up in missing persons and she would be hauled back to Glendale. But if she told her a fake last name she would have no way of getting connected with her parents. She felt like she was getting stuck between two really heavy boulders.

They started driving over the water between Brooklyn and Manhattan and she looked down at the blue rushing water of the bay and blurted out, "Waters."

"Summer Waters. Okay well now I have something to go on." Annabelle said as she kept driving.

Lyla didn't like the person she was becoming. Lying all the time, even to this nice stranger that felt like a grandmother to her, running from the police and hiding under staircases. She didn't like Summer Waters one bit.

**xXx**

Erik returned to the hotel room after his meeting with Juilliard and took a seat on the stylish couch that wrapped around the living room like a spoon.

He knew he should start composing a new song for the concert next month, but he just needed a minute to let his mind wander. He had left the bridge last night after it started raining, to hail a cab. Before he knew it thunder and lightning lit the sky make everyone flee for the indoors as if aliens were invading. All the cabs were occupied leaving him to wander the sidewalk for a while, trying to hail a cab. Finally someone had stopped to let him in and he headed back to Brooklyn.

When he came back to the house, his mother was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes and his plate of spaghetti was sitting on the stove keeping warm. He finished it up quickly before asking if he could stay the night so he wouldn't have to go out in the rain again.

She didn't mind, but his room was taken up at the moment so he had to sleep in David's room. When she told him that someone was sleeping in his childhood room he was surprised, but realized that was normal in her house. She had taken in many kids since he came along, and even more before he did. They were all children that needed a place to stay and didn't have anyone and she would take care of them. Some of them would only stay a day or two until they got put in the system and others would stay longer. Erik and David were the only two that she had adopted out of them all, Erik because of his deformity and David because of his attachment disorder.

He wondered how long this one would stay.

The next morning when he saw a little girl walk through the kitchen door he paused. Not at all what he had thought she would look like. He expected a teenage boy with bruises from an abusive parent or a shaking five year old girl. But the girl that walked in was neither. She had to be twelve or thirteen and she had beautiful brown hair that fell in curves down her back and she had bright blue eyes against a pale complexion. She had purple circles under her eyes, not from bruises, but from sleep and she was very thin.

When he was younger he never knew how to approach one of the children that his mother had brought into the house. He always assumed they would cringe at the sight of his face or questioningly stare at the mask so he would avoid them at all cost. But something about this girl made him feel comfortable around her and able to talk freely, even introduce himself.

She looked at the mask for a moment in confusion, but then ignored it. Any other child her age would have asked what it was for or asked him to take it off, but she just kept quiet about it. He wanted her to feel comfortable and safe in this environment so he made sure to introduce himself and shake her hand.

She had stayed pretty quiet, but that was probably because she was shy. But he checked the time and realized he would have just enough time to get to the hotel and bring his bags to the room before changing into clean clothes and go to the meeting he had.

Now that he was back from the meeting he had time to himself and time to listen to the music running through his mind. The strange thing about the music in his head was that it got louder when Summer walked into the room. It was almost as loud as when he brought his fingers to the stones of the bridge.

He let his whole body relax and leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew the hotel phone was ringing and he opened his eyes to see the sun had started to descend outside the windows and the clock on the wall read 7:30. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep, but it sounded about right since he hadn't slept last night and he had been in and out of airports and living in two different time zones for the past few days.

The monotone ringing of the phone still drilled in his ears and he turned to reach out and grab it off the table next to the couch he was sprawled out on.

"Hello?" he said, with the obvious grunting of just been woken up.

"Mr. Daines, your mother is on the phone. Would you like me to connect her?" the female receptionist responded ignoring the state he was in.

"Yes please." He responded rubbing his eyes of sleep and sitting up.

"Hello Erik. Your cell phone must be turned off or silent so I had no choice but to call the hotel." His mother said with slight panic in her voice.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Erik asked suddenly wide awake with concern.

"No everything fine. I just completely forgot about this important dinner I have to be at in half an hour. Could you possibly watch Summer until it's over. It would be an hour, two tops."

Erik looked around the hotel room noticing that his luggage was still in the doorway and his violin case was among it still unopened. He couldn't see any reason why he couldn't take care of Summer for a couple hours so he agreed and hung up after she said she would be there in ten minutes.

He got up from the couch and grabbed his luggage from the entry and took it into the bedroom. He started to put his clothes into the closet and empty drawers of the bureau and put his toiletries in the spacious clean bathroom. When he got most of his cases emptied he put them on the closet floor when the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Daines and Summer Waters are here to see you." The same polite woman said.

"Let them up."

After hanging up he took his violin case out to the living room and opened it. He was going to have to play and compose while Summer was here, he only had a little over a month to compose a new piece and teach it to at least twenty other instrumentalists and himself for the Fall Philharmonic. Just when he was about to take it out of its velvety bed the knock came to the door.

He walked over and opened the door to be greeted with his flustered mother and a nervous Summer.

"Thank you so much for doing this. I had completely forgotten about this dinner." His mother exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it." he said ushering them inside before closing the door. "I was just about to order room service. Did she have dinner yet?" he said looking to Summer who started wandering around the room looking at the shiny windows and beautiful furniture.

"I fed her at five, but she might still be hungry. I don't think she had eaten in a week before she came to me. She's always hungry." She whispered so she wouldn't be overheard. "I didn't get a chance to find her parents. I made missing child signs and had every precinct put them up and I tried going to the police or social services, but she didn't want to go near the places."

"Understandable. She probably had some bad memories or something. I'll take care of her. Enjoy your dinner and I will see you later." He said bringing her back to the door.

"Thank you again for doing this. Goodbye, Summer. I'll be back in a couple hours." She said loudly for Summer to hear from across the room.

"Okay." She said looking back with a wave.

When Erik closed the door behind his mother he turned back to face Summer to see her looking out the large windows at the moonlit skyline of the city that never slept.

"Well I was just about to order something from downstairs for dinner. Is there something you want? Anything your craving?" he said holding the phone in his hand and looking down at the fancy menu.

"I like mashed potatoes." She said with her quiet shy voice that he adored.

"That sounds delicious." He said feeling the rumble in his stomach from missing lunch. "Well the restaurant downstairs is too fancy and I bet the main course is more for decoration than eating, so how about we go somewhere. Want to?"

She half nodded, half shrugged like any child would if they didn't know which the right answer was. With that, Erik went to grab his jacket and put it over his t-shirt. He noticed she was wearing everything she had with her and she looked comfortable so he went ahead and left the room with her by his side.

When they got outside the warm air was a welcoming sensation on his face and he looked down at Summer who was staring up at him in question.

"Let's go this way." He said heading to the left and walked with her by his side. "If I remember correctly there is this amazing American grill restaurant around the corner."

As they walked amongst other pedestrians, Erik consciously looked amongst the women searching for Christine's warm chocolate brown eyes. But his search ended quickly when he felt something warm brush against his fingers and grip tightly to his large one. He looked down to see Summer had placed her hand in his and from her expression he could tell that she felt safer somehow. A smile slowly grew on his face and he squeezed her hand in his for comfort.

Something about this girl felt right. He didn't know why, but it was almost as if he knew her all her life. They had a connection that he couldn't quite figure out yet, but soon it would be unraveled.

**xXx**

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I will try to upload more chapters of this and Unsinkable, but life is starting to get in the way. Whenever I have down time or need to escape reality I will be working on these two stories. Please Leave a Review and tell me what you thought!**


	17. Letting Go of Her Old Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. I am just borrowing the ideas and characters for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: I am so sorry it took so long for me to update! So much has happened these past few weeks. I moved, quit my job, got another job and am working 20 hours more than I used to lol. But don't worry I am never going to give up on my stories; it will just take longer for me to update them unless I get a rush of inspiration. But anyway on with the story, hope you enjoy this chapter. It is all in Christine's perspective because I have to put her in a good frame of mind in the end for what I have in store for the next chapter. **

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 17: Letting Go of Her Old Life

**xXx**

Christine sat in stunned silence looking down at the pocket sized picture of her daughter. She couldn't take her eyes off of the blue eyes that penetrated her soul. She brushed her fingers against the glossy picture, caressing the white skin and dark curls pulled into a side ponytail.

The only thing she knew, for sure, about this girl was that she knew her.

The little girl that she had left behind in the hospital waiting room was staring up at her. The girl she had saved from Raoul's cruel grip was staring up at her. The girl that she had struggled to walk away from for some unknown reason was staring up at her. Now she knew why she felt that strong connection. Her fingers tensed into fists of anger at herself for not realizing it, for not recognizing Erik's eyes or her own brown locks.

"She went missing a little over a week ago…" William's voice broke her from her inner turmoil. He sounded nervous, for he didn't know how she would react.

"I know where she is. I need to go before I miss her." Christine said standing on shaking legs and grabbing her purse where she left it draped over the chair. "Can I take this?" she said holding the file for him to see.

"I actually have to photocopy that. It's my only copy." He said grabbing it from her and rushing from the room. "I will be right back."

Christine didn't want to waste any more time. She wanted to get straight to the police station. There would be a slim chance that she was still there, but she had to try. Hopefully, if she wasn't there, they would give in and tell her where they had relocated her to. She hadn't gotten a card from the officer and she didn't even know which precinct he was from. She would have to go to the one closest to the hospital and hope that was the one. Luckily she remembered the officer's name, Graham.

She dug through her purse looking for her phone to see if they had called for any reason. She found her phone and looked at the screen to see she had a missed call from Frank Nelson and… Danny.

Danny. She had completely forgotten to call him. He had no idea what she was going through. He didn't even know she had been pregnant once. He didn't know the extent of all the things she had learned and discovered in the past few days. Her thumb hovered over the call back button, not sure what would transpire during this conversation. The man of her dreams, literally, was looking for her. The daughter she hadn't known she had was out there on her own. Her past was catching up to her faster than the days slipped by on a coma patient. With reluctance and heartache she pressed the button to get connected to Danny.

She brought the phone to her ear and listened and waited for him to answer. She couldn't believe she was actually going to have this conversation over the phone. She was the worst kind of girlfriend to throw away their one year relationship like this. He had moved to LA with her, changed his life to be with her and she was throwing it away. She was just about to hang up, like a coward, when she heard his voice come on the other end.

"Christine?" he said worriedly. "Are you ok? I hadn't heard from you and you said you'd be back by Monday. Is your dad ok?"

Her heart stopped beating for a second at the sound of his worried voice. She could imagine his hands running through his hair and the tired, worried lines around his eyes. "Hi Danny." Christine's voice was small and weak through the phone and she struggled to come up with words. "I'm ok. My dad's not doing so well; he doesn't have a lot of time left."

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. Do you want me to come and be there with you?"

"No… no, stay in Los Angeles. There's something I have to tell you." Christine said biting the inside of her cheek in fear of what he might think of her by the end of the phone call.

"I have something I have to say too." He said on the other line. It had a hint of importance in his tone, but nothing too personal.

"Ok. What is it?" she said postponing the inevitable.

"Um… your boss came to the apartment looking for you. He said that he was there to pick you up for an early dinner meeting thing. I told him that you weren't in town and that you might not be around for a little while. He seemed worried about you."

Christine pondered that for a minute. When she was going over the staff at Threads in LA she was pretty sure the only people working above her were women. That and she had never agreed to a dinner with one of them… this was all very strange.

"Did he give you a name?" she asked curiously.

"No I don't think he gave me his name, but he had this signature white mask on half of his face. He must be really eccentric."

White mask. Erik. Erik came to her new apartment. He met Danny. Christine trembled in the chair that she was trying to hold herself together in. She wondered if Erik had seen Danny and assumed something and decided to let her move on. She didn't want to move on. She wanted Erik.

At that moment William came back in the office and handed her a folder of photocopied information. "Christine… here is the information on Lyla."

"What was that?" Danny said in her ear.

Christine froze at the surprised and confused voice in her ear.

"Lyla is… she's…" Christine knew he deserved the truth, but she didn't want to hurt him more than she already had to. "Something happened… something I never thought I was going to have to face again. So much has happened since I came here and… I'm sorry. I'm not coming to LA."

"Christine… calm down. You can tell me anything." With a long silence and a heavy sigh he continued, "If you can't tell me… then do whatever you have to do and I'll be waiting for you."

"That's… that's not the point. I'm never coming to LA." Christine wiped away a tear that fell down her cheek. Her heart was clenching at the pain she felt and the pain she was putting Danny in.

There was a cold, agonizingly long silence before she heard his shaky exclamation. "But what about your job? What about… me?"

"I never wanted to hurt you… you were the one that saved me. You were the first good thing that happened to me since leaving New York. I can't tell you how happy you made me, how thankful I am that you came into my life."

"Can you just tell me one thing?" he asked. She could see him sitting there with his hand in the air, halting her words.

She would do anything for him. "Of course."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you breaking up with me? Now after I moved across the country to be with you… after I changed my life for you. You can at least give me the truth." She could hear the tears blocking his throat making his voice crack.

"You don't want to know. It will hurt you more… I don't want you to regret knowing me… loving me."

"I would never regret what we have… had. Just tell me."

Christine took a heavy breath and opened the file she had taken from William to look at the photocopied picture of her daughter.

"I have a daughter."

Danny was silent, obviously at a loss for words.

She had to move. She took the file and put it in her purse before leaving William's office with a slight nod goodbye. When she reached the elevator, Danny finally found his voice and croaked out, "What's her name?"

Christine let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and the muscles in her shoulders relaxed. She had been so afraid he would hang up on her or fling curse words at her for keeping such a big secret from him.

"Her name is Lyla." Her voice was shaking again and she brought her hand up to cover her face from people that might see. "The reason I never told you was because I thought she was dead. It hurt so much to even talk or think about her so I didn't."

"Why did you think she was dead?"

Christine got off the elevator and walked out to the street.

"My boyfriend at the time had gotten to the hospital while I was still unconscious after the C-Section and… he pretended to be the father. He signed adoption papers, forging my signature, and when I woke up he told me she was dead."

Christine hurried her steps down the street hoping she was going in the right direction. The tears were blurring her vision, making it impossible for her to see if she was about to bump into someone.

"What do you mean your boyfriend _pretended _to be the father?"

Christine couldn't believe she had slipped on that piece of information. She wasn't about to tell him everything, she knew he deserved the truth, but the truth sounded harsh and revengeful towards Raoul on her part.

"It's a long story, but basically my boyfriend was a horrible person and I had a moment of weakness and I cheated on him. The real father was everything good in this world… he was everything my boyfriend wasn't. But my boyfriend found out about it and… he ruined my life in the only way he knew how. By getting rid of the baby and making me lose any trace of her father that I had left." Reliving that horrible time in her life made the tears that were building in her eyes fall and trail down her cheeks in rivers.

Christine came to a small park that had a playground and found the closest bench she could to sit down. Her legs had been wobbling so badly she couldn't walk any farther. Danny hadn't said anything yet and she wondered what was going through his mind.

"I'm sorry for all the pain that you've faced. I hope you find your daughter."

Christine couldn't understand how she had called to break-up with Danny, only to hear him apologize to her for the way her life had turned out. She should be the one apologizing, but she couldn't find the power of speech. It had disappeared under the lump in her throat. Her bottom lip quivered. She would love Danny forever, he had brought her back from the brink of despair and he took everything so well, including this break-up.

She had to say something and luckily speech had granted her a small voice, enough for a final parting. "Thank you. I am so sorry for the way I'm leaving us. I never wanted to lose you and now I am. I hope you find someone that makes your life complete, in a way that I never could."

"Bye." Danny said, unsure of what else to say. She heard the painful click of him disconnecting.

Christine let her hand drop, making her phone fall to her lap. That part of her life was forever gone and she couldn't get it back. Only thing she would miss was Danny. She would hold him in her heart for a long time and she did hope that he would find someone better than her and that they would grow old together, the way she had dreamed Erik and her would.

She sat on the wooden bench watching young girls and boys playing on the sturdy structures of the playground while their parents sat back and watched them from afar. One small girl ran from the sand box into her mother's arms with a large smile on her face and the mother held her in a tight hug before they walked away hand in hand.

The tears that had dried and felt invisible on her cheeks were covered by fresh new ones. She wanted that. She wanted to have her child in her arms like that. She had her so close and she had let her slip through her fingers. She knew that every second she spent sitting there she was letting her child slip away faster and farther into the chaos of the city.

Wiping away the tears and taking her phone and purse she ran to the nearest street and hailed a cab. Even at this busy time of day she was able to get a cab quickly. She directed the driver to go to the Metropolitan Hospital Center and from there she would find where the closest police station was. If her daughter wasn't there she would convince Graham to hand over the information to where her baby went.

**xXx**

Christine stormed out of the police station and looked in both directions as if her daughter would magically appear around the corners.

She had just spent half an hour waiting for Officer Graham to come back from a lunch run and when he finally arrived he refused to give away information on where Lyla was located. It had taken her a few more agonizing minutes to convince him that she was Lyla's mother but hadn't known it because she thought her daughter was dead. He had rolled his eyes slightly, but enough for her to take notice and want to rip his head off. She had been in the police station for over an hour before he finally gave in and told her that he had stepped away from the girl for a minute, came back and she and the boy were gone, nowhere in the station.

Now Christine was at a loss as to where to look next. Her daughter's trail had ended at the police station and now she was in the big city all by herself. She could have gotten hit by a car crossing the street, or grabbed and pulled into an alley or…

She couldn't keep thinking that way; her daughter had to be safe.

Realizing that taking a cab around the city wouldn't help find her daughter, she started walking, keeping her eyes alert. She made sure to look at every child's face as they walked by on the sidewalk, she'd look across the street for a trace of brown curls and blue eyes. She continued walking until her legs were sore.

She was about to take a break and sit on a park bench when her phone went off in her purse. She quickly fished it out and answered without looking at the screen.

"Hello?" she said hurried, as if Lyla's voice would answer her.

"Christine? It's Frank."

"Oh." Christine said disappointed. Then she realized he still had information about Erik. "Sorry it took me so long to answer you back. You had something else to tell me about Erik Daines?"

"Not exactly. I don't know how to tell you this, but… the baby you were told died after you gave birth… she's alive." Frank said anxiously, but determined.

'_How did Frank know before I did?'_ she thought, surprised. "Um… yeah I found out yesterday. How do you know that?"

"Raoul told me…"

"Raoul told you?!" Christine shrieked. Her anger for that man was escalating.

"I'm sorry. He told me over some drinks a couple years back. He had been pretty intoxicated."

Of course he had. He would only tell the truth about a long kept secret if he was 'falling on the floor' drunk. "Well thank you for telling me. I have to go." She said before hanging up.

She had somehow found a bench and sat down without realizing it. She had to keep moving, she had to find her daughter. She stood again on weak legs and started to walk in no sure direction, hoping that destiny would guide her. Her feet were aching and the muscles in her legs were straining for rest, but she couldn't stop.

Hours were passing this way. As she walked she both felt and saw the sun disappearing in the trees and buildings. The minutes kept flying by until only stars and the sliver of a moon lit the sky. The lights of the tall buildings and the light of the street lamps were the only illumination for her to see where she was going.

Her stomach started to growl loudly, making people's heads turn. She had become weak from the exercise and nothing in her stomach to keep her going made her feel like a walking zombie. Just as she passed a bar and grill the doors opened as a couple men walked in together laughing and talking. The smells wafting from inside made her mouth water and she couldn't stop herself from walking in.

The restaurant was less of a restaurant and more of a bar. There were booths and small tables all around the space and a bar dominated the front. The majority of the customers were drinking alcohol, but the only sign that the place had food was the smell coming from behind a swinging door and the very few people actually eating food with their tall glass of beer or wine.

"You can take a seat anywhere." A woman wearing an apron and holding a tray with steaming meat on it said as she passed by her and gave a group of friends their meal.

Christine went over to a small table against the wall of windows and sat down. She put her purse on the floor and grabbed the menu that was placed in between the salt and pepper. She quickly skimmed the plastic covering and put it down, knowing what she wanted. She stared out the window, not passing up a chance that her daughter could be walking by.

"Can I get you something?"

Christine turned to see the same woman that told her to pick a seat standing there with a notepad and pen at the ready. Christine gave her order of a medium-well burger and fries with a tall glass of beer with an orange wedge. She was going to need something to calm her racing heart and ease the pain in her legs.

While she waited for her meal she stared out the window with purpose. She didn't hear the laughter and joy of everyone in the bar or the sound of ice clinking in glasses at the bar or even the sound of disappointed men asking for another drink after they have had enough to take down a rhino. She could only hear the music forming in her mind, the tune that William had sworn her daughter was humming a few weeks earlier.

Epiphany.

Christine would write out the music in her head. She would put it on paper. It isn't as if she hasn't composed music before. She would perfect the music in her head and play it. She would call her daughter to her with music. She would bring her music back and she would find her former band members and ask for their help. They would of course think she was crazy, but she was past caring. She would do or say anything to get Lyla back in her arms.

"Here you go." The waitress said placing her plate and beer in front of her.

"Thank you." Christine said giving the nice lady a polite smile, the first smile she could remember giving in a while.

Before she could dig in and feel the protein work through her body she heard a loud bang. She looked up quickly to see one man at the end of the bar was slamming his fist down on the wood. He was begging the bartender to give him another drink.

"Raoul, you have had enough and it isn't even 8:00." The bartender said back to him, refusing to serve him more.

Christine stared at the back of Raoul's head. He was wearing a baseball cap backwards on his head and his greasy hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. His shirt was soiled with sweat and odor and … blood. He was still wearing the same shirt as yesterday? She couldn't believe that it was only yesterday that she had seen Raoul and rescued her daughter and that young boy from him. He must have no sense of hygiene if he still wore that dirty shirt with blood from his bleeding nose crusted on the front.

Christine placed her burger down on the plate, took a sip of her beer and stood from her seat. She walked over to where he sat and again coming up behind him so he didn't see her coming she grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed his face into the bar in front of him.

"Oh fuck." Raoul yelped at the contact of his possibly broken nose hitting solid wood.

Christine didn't care. She was going to take her revenge out on this asshole once and for all. She put her hand on his forehead and slammed him back until he fell off his stool and landed on the ground almost colliding with the waitress who was trying to get her orders in.

Christine laid a few hard kicks into his side before someone grabbed her from behind to keep her from hurting him more.

"Let go of me." Christine said to whoever was holding her as she thrashed and tried to break free.

Raoul finally got to his feet and wiped the blood off his upper lip and grasped his side where she had definitely marked bruises on him. He looked up to see who his attacker was and was faced with her seething expression. "Christine? What the hell? Two days in a row? You have to stop. Get over it, I don't have the kids anymore, you took them remember."

"That's not why I'm angry, you asshole." Christine screamed continuing to try and get out of the strong arms of her captor.

"Then what? What did I do this time?" he said exasperated and uncaring.

"You gave my baby up for adoption." With those words the man behind her let her go as if he didn't have power left in his arms.

Instead of going forward and continuing to beat him she stood there trying to catch her breath. She knew everyone in the bar was watching her in stunned silence, but she didn't care. She just wanted to see and hear Raoul's response.

He stared at her like she had two heads. "I did no such thing."

"Don't try and lie. You were always a horrible liar. I have the paperwork." She said pulling the adoption papers out of her back pocket of her jeans.

She unfolded them and propped them in front of his eyes. He didn't even look at the paper; he continued to look into her eyes. She could see his complete lack of sympathy and reluctance. He didn't give a crap that he ruined her life and the life of her daughter.

"Because of what you did, I never got to see her first steps. I never got to hear her first words. I didn't get to do all the things I dreamed of doing. You ruined my life. You ruined her life." She said tapping the paper that was still in his face. "You just couldn't bear the thought of me being happy. It was always about you."

His tense unreadable expression almost melted to show something of what he was feeling, which was regret. But he quickly recovered his stone cold front.

"It doesn't matter now, does it? Your daughter is probably happily placed with a family, oblivious to the fact that you exist. Either that or she's dead." He said with a cruel chuckle.

Christine had the urge to kick him where it hurts the most, but she decided against it.

"No. She's out there and she's looking for me. You know how I know? Because the last and only time I saw her I had just ripped her from your grasp and brought her to safety."

Raoul stood there in silence with a confused look on his face. "What?" he said with a crooked, openmouthed gape.

"That's right. Lyla… Lyla Reynolds? That name sound familiar to you?" Christine asked sarcastically.

She saw the name register in his mind until he knew exactly who she was talking about. His eyes widened in disbelief and his gaping mouth closed in a tight line. She watched his Adam's apple bob from his large nervous gulp.

"At that point I didn't realize it because I thought my daughter was dead. Only to find out less than twenty four hours later that she's alive and I had her in my grip and let her slip through my fingers. Now she's gone. She ran from the police and I don't know where to look next." Christine was ready to burst into tears, but she held them back, not wanting Raoul to see them.

"I… I guess I can… try to help you find her…" Raoul stuttered.

"No. I don't think I want your help. No matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult it might be… I will never ask for your help." She said, before walking back over to her table and grabbing her purse.

She placed two twenties down on the table for the beer and hamburger that she didn't get a chance to eat before attempting to walk out of the bar. She thought of something that would satisfy her and not hurt her hand before she walked away, so she grabbed her beer, walked back over to Raoul and splashed the contents into his face.

"Goodbye Raoul. I hope you burn in hell." She said before walking out of the bar, tenser than she was before.

If she had turned left instead of right she would have seen her daughter and Erik walking hand in hand down the street. But fate had other plans for them.

**xXx**

**So there's that! Sorry if I seemed lacking in the description and editing department. I usually add in the majority of the descriptions when I am editing, but I really wanted to get this up today because you guys have waited long enough. So please leave a review and tell me what you thought! **


	18. Epiphany Moments

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. **

**A/N: I am terribly sorry for the longest wait I have ever left you guys with! I hope to never do that again! I have just been so busy and the lack of inspiration was fighting against me! But at the end of this chapter I have a special surprise for you and I hope you will like it! But for now go ahead and read this long awaited chapter!**

**Please Rate and Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 18: Epiphany Moments

**xXx**

_3 Weeks Later_

Christine stood with one lone rose in her hand.

She played with the petals to try and distract herself from what was occurring around her. With one look up to the sky where the sun shined over the city, but didn't reach her heart, she let the tears continue to cascade down her face. This was the most she had ever cried. The discovery of losing her child and the realization that she was alive and always had been didn't come close to this pain she felt.

Denial. Sadness. Anger. Despair. Guilt. Every emotion that she could feel ran through her. With a final goodbye she let the rose escape her fingers and fall six feet into the ground to land on her father's coffin.

Friends of his, distant relatives, co-workers and even nurses slowly dissipated and walked away to their waiting cars. Christine stood alone watching as the grave workers started shoveling dirt over the coffin. When she could no longer see the mahogany wood and rose, that she had just released, she remembered the last moment she had with him.

_Christine had been staring at the picture of Lyla in the missing child ad she had placed in the newspaper when a grunt of drowsiness ripped her from the page. _

"_Chrissy…"_

"_Daddy?" Christine shoved the paper aside and moved closer to the bed, not believing that he was awake. In the weeks that she had been by his side this was the third time he had been awake and talking. The first time was when she had first arrived in New York and the second was over a week ago and he had quickly fallen back to sleep._

"_Baby… I don't have much time." He said between harsh shaking breaths._

"_Daddy… it's okay. Just stay with me… please. I can't live without you." Christine said gripping his cold, weak hand in hers._

"_I feel so weak." He said between deep breaths. "I can't stay living like this."_

_Christine knew that was true and every second he was breathing was like another stab of pain. There was nothing to relieve his pain, but to let go and move on. Christine just feared living in a world where he wasn't there. She had already lost so much and she didn't want to lose him too. _

_After the realization that she hadn't completely lost her daughter she had wanted to tell him over anyone else. "You're a grandfather…" she said, choking up._

_His sickly yellow eyes widened as much as he could manage in confusion and astonishment. _

"_My baby… the one I was told died… she's alive." Christine continued, "Raoul lied and put her up for adoption. She's alive. I am going to find her. Look…" She thrust the crumbled newspaper in front of him so he could see. "She has your nose. She has moms and my hair. She has her father's eyes. She's perfect." Christine said getting lost in the memory of Lyla and Erik's beautiful blue eyes._

_With all the strength he could muster he brushed the black and white photo with his fingertips and sighed in wonderment. "She is beautiful. She looks just like you. I wish I could live long enough to know her." He said. Every other word was accompanied with a wheezing breath. _

_Christine let the first of many tears fall and said through broken sobs. "She will know of you. She'll know how hard you fought, how dedicated you were and how loving you were to me after mom died. You will be a hero in her eyes."_

"_I love you so much Christine. I loved you from the moment I held you in my arms for the first time. You were my dream come true." He brought his hand up to her cheek and brushed the tears away. "Don't cry for me. I will always be with you."_

_Christine tried to stifle her cries, but couldn't hold them back. Squeezing her eyes shut she felt her tears roll down and fall from her chin. When his hand slid away and fell lifelessly to the bed she looked to see his eyes closed and no breath coming from his cracked and dry lips. Everything else was blurred by tears and the screaming headache of loss. _

"Chrissy?"

Christine froze. Tears stopped running, her hand stayed suspended in the air where she was going to wipe the tears away with an old tissue. She was startled to hear the nickname that her father used to call her, believing she had conjured the voice in her need for companionship, but realized the voice was a woman's, a familiar voice.

Turning to see who called her she looked upon a woman wearing all black. In a cemetery that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the woman she had once known was the complete opposite of what she used to be. Christine looked her head to toe, almost unable to recognize her.

"Meg?"

The wild and carefree blonde that wore dirty ratted jeans, an old tank top and flip flops was long gone. A woman with her hair pulled high in a fancy chignon and wearing a black dress, like a layer of skin, made from Prada no doubt, with three inch heels stood in front of her.

Meg came forward with the grace of a dancer and enveloped Christine in a sisterly hug. Everything, from her father's death to the anxiety of where her daughter was, came rushing to the surface and she let it all go in Meg's arms.

Meg's shoulder was a puddle of tears when Christine moved away to look her best friend in the eye.

"I'm so sorry… about your dad." Meg said with tears running down her cheeks.

Christine wiped the tears from her cheeks with her forgotten tissue only to have more run down in endless rivers.

"Can we go somewhere? I don't want to watch these men fill up my father's grave anymore." Christine said, past the ball of agony in her throat, gesturing to the workers.

"Of course, let's go." Meg said, wrapping her arm around Christine's shoulders and moving them away towards her car.

When Christine saw what Meg was driving she stopped in her tracks in disbelief, momentarily forgetting her sorrow. "You drive a Mercedes Benz?"

"Yeah, my husband bought it for me for my birthday." She said clicking the remote to unlock the doors.

"Wait…" Christine stopped again, "you're married?"

"Oh, yeah… five years now." Meg said, smiling brightly. She showed her ring, placed at home, on her finger to Christine.

She admired the glimmering gem that was twice the size of the one Raoul had bought her years ago. As the sun hit it, they dazzled and reflected rainbows on her face.

The thought that she might never have what her best friend made for herself rushed over Christine like a tidal wave, making her feel even worse.

"So are you seeing anybody?" Meg asked curiously. She was also trying to get Christine's mind off depressing thoughts, not realizing that her mind was already off of the sorrow of the past few weeks, but was now on the reminder that she was alone... again.

"I was." Christine said thinking of the end of her relationship with Danny. She didn't want to focus on herself, knowing she would just dissolve into a ball of tears again, and tried to change the subject. "So how did you meet your husband?"

**xXx**

They had gone to Meg's home in Brooklyn for the privacy and quiet to talk of everything that had transpired in her life since Christine left.

Christine had continued to ask questions about Meg's life to avoid getting the conversation geared towards her. It didn't stop her mind from veering to what she didn't have and the difference their lives had gone in.

Meg had married while Christine went through blind dates and short term flings until Danny and the inevitable ending to that only long term relationship in thirteen years.

Meg had finished school and became a businesswoman while Christine had been lucky enough to get a simple assistant job until she caught the eye of Melinda Kim.

Meg had a four year old daughter who was about to go into her first day of pre-school. Christine had dreamed of all the firsts she had missed with her daughter. First steps, first words, first birthday, first Christmas, first sleepover, and first day of school, everything Meg had witnessed and gloried in with her daughter.

Meg had made countless friends in the last decade, leaving Christine as a faded memory. She had co-workers, her husband's friends and family and old friends that hadn't left New York behind. Rory and Mark from their band years ago were still close and once in a while they would bring out their instruments and play free style at a party. Christine had been alone and an outcast in Boston without a sliver of companionship or friendship.

"But I feel like I have just been talking about myself all afternoon. What was it like living in Boston? How's your life been for the past… thirteen years?" Meg asked.

Everything that Meg had achieved and gotten in her perfect life hit every nerve inside Christine. Every point she made burned a hole in her insignificant life. The only thing she could do to answer Meg's direct change in conversation was to shed more tears.

"Oh, Christine." Meg moved over to her side and held her like a consoling mother.

Through the rush of tears Christine wailed and mumbled her confessions of what had happened and what she discovered in her return to New York. She told Meg about her father's genetic disease and the thankful revelation that she didn't carry that gene. She told her how she had found out her daughter was still alive and Raoul had put her up for adoption. She continued to say that she knew who her daughter was and had saved her life without knowing it was her. All the ups and downs of the past few weeks that had led her to this moment. She confessed the only thing she wanted to do was find Erik and her daughter and live happily with them for the rest of her life.

By the end of her rambling Meg had tears in her eyes and she was looking at Christine in disbelief. "Oh my God." She said breathlessly. Totally back in her best friend mode she rubbed her back and calmed her tears. "Christine… I am so sorry. What can I do?"

Christine had discovered those long three weeks ago that she would relearn her music and bring it to life to bring her baby back to her. She had only one problem… she couldn't do it alone.

Meg's question brought hope and light down on Christine's heart for the first time since leaving Boston. Over a decade ago when they had been in a band together she got most of her inspiration from the events of her life. But Meg, Mark and Rory had been there with her to create the music and put it down on paper. When Meg had spoken of their free style playing, she felt left out and jealous. She had lost all hope of even touching her guitar for the past decade and they had continued on with the love and gift of music. Now that Meg had asked the one question she hadn't realized she needed to hear she knew what had been missing.

"Do you think Mark and Rory would be willing to bring the band back together?" Christine asked, praying that everything would fall into place and the universe would grant her one easy step in her journey to finding Lyla.

**xXx **

Erik sat at the head of the long mahogany conference table trying to read the expressions of the board and directors of Juilliard who were looking over his composition. But the older, refined leaders had perfected the art of stoic faces, showing no emotion, making him feel more insecure than he ever remembered being.

He had worked night and day, barely slept or ate, trying to bring the music in his mind to life, not feeling completely satisfied with the result. This creation was the most important in his life because he had a feeling that when he played it Christine would hear and follow it like she had that beautiful night years ago. He just needed to make it correct on every level… he just had to.

He hadn't written music or even played his violin in almost fifteen years, so he was a bit rusty. Knowing it was only a rough draft, sections and breaks that needed to be fixed, he felt unprepared for the meeting and would still be working every second of the next two weeks till rehearsals to make it perfect.

Slowly each and every person looked up from the pages of notes and looked at the genius in front of them. Erik could see the bewilderment hidden behind their spectacles and started to feel uncomfortable.

"I know it is just a rough draft, but…." He said, avoiding their staring eyes and looking at his original score in front of him.

"No." the deep voice of Daniel Abbott, director of the Philharmonic, made Erik look up, startled. "It's perfect." he continued. "Don't change it at all. This is something I have only dreamed about hearing." He said, softly running his fingers over the pages.

"I appreciate that. I would like to just keep working on it and make it perfect. I will have the final score for you in two weeks." Erik said, standing and taking his composition.

"You really don't need to… but if I remember correctly you always wanted to do the best possible job. Going beyond the limits." He said looking at him with respect and appreciation.

Erik had always wanted to do the best possible job. He would work diligently until the last possible second, even during rehearsals. But with this composition he had a lot riding on it and one wrong note could shatter the whole dream of Christine following the music and reuniting with him.

After shaking each of their hands Erik left the room and, closing the door behind him, let out a sigh of relief. Now that that was over he could go on to work on it some more, even play it privately for his mother and Summer.

The thought of Summer brought a smile to his face. For the past three weeks they had gotten close, as if they were best friends that had known each other for years. They enjoyed each other's company and every moment spent with her felt valuable. Erik almost didn't want her to find her parents. She was the first person that had gotten through the stone wall he had built up around himself. Looking to the chair next to the door where Erik had left her waiting was empty.

Panic flooded him.

Quickly surveying the halls for her or anyone that might know where she is didn't help his rising anxiety. The only person he saw was a secretary coming around the corner.

"Excuse me?" he said, approaching the young lady. "Have you seen a girl? She's thirteen, got long brown curly hair and she's wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans." Erik asked rushed and desperate.

"No, sir. I haven't." she said, hurried, maneuvering around him to get to her destination.

Erik continued rushing through the corridors looking down adjacent hallways and in the narrow windows of every door. He asked every person he walked by if they'd seen her, without luck. Erik was worried that she had been grabbed by a stranger or that she had wandered and gotten lost. Just when he found himself going full circle around the school he heard the vibrant chords of an organ playing.

The music bellowing from the pipes echoed all around and enveloped him in ethereal warmth. The swelling of notes and immaculate playing hit something deep inside him that made him speed up to a full out sprint towards the sound without a second thought. It was as if Christine was behind the double doors at the end of the hall and one second longer of hesitation would make her disappear forever.

When he reached the closed doors a few seconds later he stared numbly through the small window to see one of the many practice rooms that were scattered around the school. The majestic organ was the only instrument in the room and the only person in the room was Summer sitting on the organ bench playing the advanced instrument like a professional. The looming pipes of different sizes and lengths, hummed and whistled, when her fingers pressed down on the keys and her feet pressed down on the pedals.

Summer's face was tilted up to watch the pipes pulsate with her music. Her fingers danced across the levels of keys effortlessly as if she had played all her life.

Erik knew that wasn't the case. She had said the only instrument she ever played was the guitar. _'Why would she lie about something as slight as that?_' She even looked like she was amazed at what she was doing. He knew the look of someone that had never played before and she had that look. This was more than just beginner's luck or intuition, she was a musical prodigy.

The music she was playing sounded familiar to him. It was something foreign… to everyone… except him. It was the music that had been taking over his mind, flooding him. It was the music that he had been trying to bring forth, only better.

For thirteen years he had tried ignoring it and putting it out of his mind, but it stuck like glue. It was that pounding combination of emotions that he had heard when he'd approached the Central Park bridge a few weeks earlier. It was that beat that rang through his mind every time he thought of Christine. The same music he had heard many times in his life. The same music he had been trying to get down on paper to play at the Philharmonic. It was too complex for him to write out or even play on a piano or on his violin, but Summer was doing it. For weeks he had been trying to get it perfect to present to the board, but he hadn't been able to do it. Summer, a thirteen year old girl who had only ever played the guitar, was playing it… on an organ.

"That is beautiful." Erik jumped slightly from the invasion of his inner thoughts. He turned to see Daniel Abbott standing behind him watching Summer play the organ with apt attention. "Who is that?" he said in stunned admiration.

Erik turned back to look at Summer as if for the first time. He couldn't believe he had never noticed it before or read any of the signs. The first night he had taken her to get dinner the waitress had greeted them as father and daughter. A few days later someone else had made the same assumption because of the similarity in their eyes. Even his mother had noticed the similarities in their personality and looks.

Now as Erik looked at her he could see the reminders of Christine. The long, curling brown hair, the color of autumn leaves. Her smile… the way it lit up a room with its infectious beauty. Even the way she talked, it had that soft melody as if she was a singing angel.

Clips ran through his mind like a montage you only saw in movies.

Frank Nelson told him that Christine had been pregnant thirteen years ago with his baby. The horror of realizing that Christine thought she was dead when she was actually alive and healthy.

The moment he first saw Summer entering his mother's kitchen with sleep in her eyes. That jolt at his heart that he had mistaken for surprise at seeing her. It had actually been his soul reaching out to hers.

She never mentioned anything about her parents… as if she never even met them. She walked around the city like she had never seen it before.

She was thirteen years old, her birthday was nine months after he had met Christine.

Now this music… music that he had lived with for thirteen years was coming from her soul like she was calling for someone. Calling for him.

Daniel's hand rested on his shoulder and he asked again, in wonderment, "Who is that?"

Without hesitation or even thinking of the consequences, he blurted, "She's my daughter."

**xXx**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ! I have decided that because of my horribly long wait for you guys and the fact that I have been very inspired to write Win a Weekend with Christine Day and Fight to the Death I am going to give you guys a part in my decision. In your reviews for this chapter please let me know which story you would like to start reading first. I have both first chapters saved and ready to be read by all of you. The story with the most likes will be uploaded. The other will be uploaded once I finish Music Within or Unsinkable. But don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter! Once I have reached 145 reviews for this story I will upload the first chapter to the favored story. Thank you for reading this and I can't wait to share my newest story with you!**


	19. Glendale

**Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: Words cannot tell you how sorry I am for the long wait! I totally lost my muse for a while. This isn't my best editing job, I got everything I could down and didn't exactly have the patience to really edit! I made sure there weren't mistakes, but it isn't as detailed as I would like it to be! At least it is a long chapter to make up for the long wait! This is a great chapter, very eventful! Hope you enjoy and… **

**Please Leave a Comment!**

**Music Within**

Chapter 19: Glendale

**xXx **

_Couple Days Later…_

Erik gripped the steering wheel, in a last attempt to hold himself together, as he stopped in front of his mother's house. He stopped the engine and sat staring at the street beyond the windshield without really seeing it. His mind was on something else… or someone else.

He hadn't seen Summer since she was bringing life to his music. The music coming from the organ pipes still rang in his ears. The way she played it with such skill and experience was astonishing. From that moment he had continued to put it on paper, but it still didn't come together in the right way, it was as if he had the worst case of writer's block.

He had driven her back to the house, without looking at her, afraid that she would be able to see the recognition in his eyes. He couldn't look at her without seeing Christine and the memory still made his heart jump into his throat. He was most surprised that he hadn't seen the resemblance the moment he saw her; the music had just established it.

He spent the last two days in his hotel room trying to find a viable way to prove their connection, find any information on Summer Waters that he could and trying to find Christine. The only way of proving that he was her father was to take a DNA Paternity Test. The idea of getting a blood test done would be hard to explain to Summer without letting her know of his motives. She would run before he could get her in the same room as a needle. The only thing that came up on her name was a therapist by that name and a few books and movies by that title, along with pictures of the ocean.

Trying to find Christine had been much harder. All the internet knew about her was that she released an album back in 1999 and moved to Boston shortly after. After going to her former home in Boston and then her new home in LA, it brought him to New York resulting in a dead end. By the end of the two days he had gotten nowhere.

After 48 hours, running on 3 hours of sleep, he had got a call from his mother. Her voice was full of anxiety with a hint of urgency.

Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car. As he took the steps up to the door he thought back to the incident. The last time he saw Summer, he had told one of the board members, Daniel Abbott, that she was his daughter. It must have been the stupidest thing to come out of his mouth. If that declaration got its way to Summer's ears, she wouldn't understand.

She had adoptive parents that were probably looking for her and she most definitely believed they were her real parents. She couldn't have some stranger telling people that she's his daughter. Maybe that's what this urgency was all about, what if she had overheard the conversation and fled in the middle of the night. He quickly opened the front door and walked in, looking around, hastily, for Summer.

All was quiet. The fear that Summer had left started beating against his chest like a hammer. The notion that he hadn't looked at her or even said goodbye to her in their last meeting made him regret leaving her so quickly. He just hoped he wasn't too late. He hated the idea that he had sat in a hotel room all weekend, researching, when his daughter was wandering the streets of Brooklyn on her own.

Seeing the beam of light under the kitchen door had him rushing towards the door, swinging it open. His mother sat at the kitchen table with a piece of paper in her hand. She looked like she was studying it, the way her glasses perched on the tip of her nose and the concentrated frown marred her mouth.

From the corner of her eye she saw someone enter and immediately put the paper face down in front of her. When she realized it was Erik she sighed in relief.

"Where's Summer?" Erik asked, looking around the kitchen, wanting her to be around the corner, making something to eat for lunch.

"She's upstairs." Annabelle said intertwining her fingers and using them to prop her head up. She always did that when she was about to give a speech or was unsure of what to do.

Relief flooded him and he let go of the breath he had been holding. Erik walked over to sit across from her, the relief momentarily weakening him. "What's wrong? What is that?" Erik said looking down at the paper.

After a moment's hesitation she turned it over so he could see.

The first thing he noticed was the picture of Summer. The bright blue eyes he had given her and the brown cascading hair that Christine had gifted her. Then right above it in block black letters was the word **'Runaway'**. The picture was a little old, taken about a couple years ago, and it was a bit faded from an old, cheap printer. But what shocked him was the fact that her name wasn't Summer. Lyla Reynolds. Beneath her name was a list of physical attributes, height, hair color, eye color, ethnicity, and her age.

His breath caught when he saw the words _'Glendale Home for Children'._ She hadn't run away from her parents or got lost in the city, she ran away from an orphanage. She never had adopted parents. She'd been alone all this time. Erik resisted the urge to run upstairs and pull her into a hug and tell her what he discovered, but he didn't want to scare her.

"While you two were out the other day, I went to the police station to put some flyers up and maybe see if anyone recognized her. One of the officers recognized her, saying that she had gotten away from them, right around the time she showed up at my door." Annabelle said, her hands shaking. "They gave me this notice…" she pointed to the paper, "and asked that if I get in contact with her to bring her to the station immediately."

"You aren't going to take her in, are you?" Erik asked, panic wrapping around his throat.

"I have to Erik. She doesn't belong to us. She has parents out there and…"

"No. It says here that she has been living in a children's home her whole life. She needs family; she needs people that will take care of her." Erik said starting to become defensive, his voice getting more intense.

"Who says that we are the right people for that job?" she said, starting to raise her voice in the way she used to when Erik would swirl in his vortex of emotions.

"As her father, I say I am the right person…" Erik said, spitting out what he had hoped to discuss with his mother in a calmer, more controlled environment.

The look on Annabelle's face was a mixture of confusion and preposterousness. A moment passed in silence before she started to chuckle, a tad strained. "I know you have gotten close to the girl, but don't start to think of her as your daughter. It will hurt her more than you in the long run."

"It's true, Mother. This notice…" he said, waving the paper in the air, "proves my statement. That woman I told you about, Christine, she's the mother. And I am her father. Thirteen years ago, Christine and I met and we fell in love. Sum… Lyla's birthday falls nine months after that." Erik knew that he hadn't thought this conversation all the way through, but he had to tell her so she wouldn't take his child away.

The look Annabelle gave him was one he had never seen her express: pity. She was starting to believe that he had created all of these signs in his mind so he could believe he had family. But this definitely wasn't that. The only piece of evidence he had that would hopefully convince her stuck out now.

He pulled his wallet out of his breast pocket and grabbed the worn scrap of newspaper from behind his license. The faded picture of Christine from her album had been put in the newspapers and ever since he saw the article, it was placed with his violin, out of sight like a coffin. Now he kept it close to his heart so he could see it when he needed faith in his music, which seemed to happen constantly lately.

Handing the picture to his mother, he watched as her eyes focused and widened fractionally at the similarity.

Without waiting to hear what other remarks his mother could make, he turned and left the kitchen. The only thing he wanted to do was find Lyla and hold her close. He wanted to let her know that she wasn't alone anymore. He would tell her the truth and hope to God she would understand.

Halfway up the stairs his mother stopped him. "What are you going to do? You can't just swoop in and tell her you're her father. She won't believe you."

"I'll convince her." He said, taking the steps two at a time and going to the end of the hall.

As he stood outside his old bedroom he noticed that the door was ajar. Without making a noise, he pushed the door open slightly to see Lyla on the floor surrounded by books and paper. From faraway it looked like she was just drawing, but when he really focused on what she was doing he could see her writing music notes all over the pages. The books that were open around her were his old textbooks from Juilliard and they were all open to different sections on how to compose music. A soft humming was coming from her lips as she continued writing the melody in her head.

Feeling his mother's hand on his shoulder, he turned to see her looking at the sight of Lyla surrounded by music. She looked at the vision, remembering Erik at that age doing the same thing with her books, seeing a memory reoccur in front of her. She looked up at Erik now and he could see that she remembered and believed.

His phone started to play a soft melody in his pocket. Quickly grabbing it to silence it, he turned to see that Lyla hadn't heard and was lost in her own melody. Thankful that she had the same level of concentration that he had when composing, he walked down the hall before answering.

"Hello?" he said softly.

"Erik Daines? This is Daniel Abbott." Erik was surprised to get a call from him and answered politely.

"How are you?" Erik asked, not caring in the least, just hoping it would be a short call.

"Good. The board and I have had a talk and we would like you to come back in to discuss your composition."

Erik was pleased that he was getting right to the point, but he didn't understand what the point was about. He had to convince them that he was going to continue working on it to refine it and now they wanted him to come back in to discuss it. "Why?"

"Well we discussed it and we would like to add something to it. Would you mind meeting with us?" Erik couldn't think of a reason why not and because he was curious he agreed. Before he could hang up, Daniel said "Great, see you soon. Oh and bring your daughter with you?"

Erik held the phone to his ear, even after hearing the line go dead. The only thing floating through his mind now was, _'shit'_.

**xXx**

Christine poured all her attention over the file Mr. Ross gave her on Lyla. She kept the picture next to all the paperwork, always in sight, as she read every detail on the pages. From when she was born to her disappearance, child services had updates on her, everything from her behavior to her medical history.

From what was written from countless social workers over the years, she had been a quiet, introverted girl. She got along with everyone, but rarely spent time playing or talking with any of the other children. She preferred to be left alone. Christine understood that need to be alone. Now she couldn't bear it, she needed people around her, she needed her daughter. She needed Erik.

The last few days had been non-stop communication with her old friends. Meg had agreed to help her in any way that she could, so when Christine came up with the plan to start the band up again, she wholeheartedly agreed. When she met with Rory and Mark for lunch, both of them dressed in their finest suits for work, she had felt completely underdressed in her jeans and raggedy t-shirt. When she had brought up the idea of starting the band up again, she knew there would be some reluctance on their parts. They were businessmen now; they made deals with other companies and sat at desks with their own assistants. They weren't greasy, guitar and drum playing teenagers anymore. It hadn't taken long to get Rory to agree, but Mark was much harder to convince. In the end she hadn't been able to get Mark to agree, he had to go to the San Francisco for a huge meeting around the time that Christine planned on playing. Christine understood he couldn't drop everything to help her right now, so she acquiesced with being one band member short.

Christine knew that she should be practicing playing the guitar or singing, getting her abilities back. But all she wanted to do was look for any clue as to how to find her daughter. Bringing the band together was her Plan B. If she couldn't find her daughter any other way, she hoped the music would guide her. Looking over the paperwork for the hundredth time, she spotted something.

She had looked over the words 'Glendale Home' every time she sat reading, but this time the meaning hit her. Before she could think or analyze what to do she grabbed her purse and the file and headed out of her father's apartment.

Ever since her father went into the hospital his apartment was empty, but still under his name. But after his death, Christine couldn't bring herself to box all his belongings up and sell the apartment. Instead she decided to move in. Instead of spending money on the hotel and since she was planning on staying in the city she found this to be the easiest solution, financially. Emotionally, was a different matter, but she couldn't allow her mind to go there.

Before she even reached the elevator she had her phone out, calling Meg for a favor.

She only had to wait on the sidewalk for ten minutes before Meg pulled up in her Mercedes. Christine, without hesitation, got into the passenger seat and look over at Meg to see she must have just come from work, she was wearing her sleek business attire and not a hair was out of place.

"What's going on, Chris?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"I need to go to Glendale." Before Meg could ask, Christine thrust her daughters file on Meg's lap and pointed at the line that read that Lyla lived in a children's home in Glendale.

"But you know she's not there? You told me you saw her here in the city."

"I know she's here in the city, but I need to go to where she has been her whole life. The people there know her more than I do and maybe they can tell me something. I just…" The tears she had finally stopped this morning were now falling again and with them a large lump had lodged itself in her throat.

Meg rubbed her back for reassurance. "Ok. Let's go."

While crossing the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Christine got a feeling in the pit of her stomach. A feeling like she was heading in the right direction. Like she was getting closer to her daughter somehow. Passing it off as heading towards her former home and following the trail, like a dog following its owner's scent, the real reason she had got that feeling was because at that moment Erik and Lyla were driving past them on the bridge, heading to Juilliard.

Fifteen minutes later she saw the Glendale Home for Children sign at the entrance to a long dirt road. About a mile down the road, Christine worried that they went the wrong way, but then a large white house loomed behind the trees.

Christine could see children everywhere. They were playing on a large jungle gym, running in the fields, and climbing the trees. Pulling up in front of the house she noticed older people in the garden over to the side picking tomatoes and peppers, while children picked apples off the trees. Christine started to wonder how many children lived here.

A woman stepped out of the house and stood on the porch looking at Meg's car with a large, welcoming smile. She must have thought Christine was a new mother-to-be.

She had a daughter. She wasn't about to substitute for another.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Meg asked.

Christine sat frozen in place, everything was becoming to real and the fact that her daughter had lived here for twelve years without her even realizing it brought an ache to her chest, an ache of time lost. Unable to speak, she nodded her answer to Meg's question and they both opened the doors to get out of the car.

Christine assessed the home, the newly painted white wood and clean windows, and the surrounding land. Looking over in the distance her eye caught on a large meadow of tall grass, it looked as if the sun was beaming down on it alone, like a spotlight on the main attraction.

"Hello." Christine turned to see the woman was walking towards her. "You must be Mrs. Warren? Glad to finally meet you. I'm Emma Smith, we spoke on the phone last week." She said outstretching her hand for a shake.

Christine stood dumbstruck for a moment. Emma obviously thought she was someone else, but she didn't know if she should follow the act or tell her the truth. If she told her who she really was there was a possibility she would be turned away with nothing but an appointment to come back at a later time. But if she lied and the real Mrs. Warren came, she would be in trouble. The truth was the best option. She wasn't about to turn around, she was on a mission.

"I'm sorry. My name is Christine Darden and this is my friend Meg…" Christine stopped when she didn't realize her best friend's last name. Since they were reunited Christine knew her friend got married, but she only ever used her husband's first name, leaving her with a blank.

Emma looked a bit embarrassed by her slip. "Oh, I'm sorry. Very clumsy of me, I didn't even see your appointment on the calendar…"

"Actually, I don't have an appointment. I'm inquiring about a girl that ran away from here about a month ago. Her name was Lyla Reynolds." Christine said, pulling her file out of her purse.

"Are you from Child Services?" Emma asked, her voice changing from calm and collected to nervous.

"No." Christine said with finality. "I'm her mother."

She stared back at her in shock, but her professional approach was starting to come back. This wasn't the first time she was faced with a mother looking for their child, but of course the child was usually placed with a family, not missing in the city. "I am very sorry, but I can't let you in here without an appointment."

Christine pulled Mr. Ross' business card out of the file and handed it to her. "There's my appointment."

Emma obviously recognized the name and knew William from his last visit, but she was still hesitant. "Let me just call his office and confirm." She said as she turned to walk up the steps and inside the house. Christine and Meg stood outside waiting, Meg checking her phone for updates on work while Christine looked over at the meadow again. There was something about it that caught her attention and she reminded herself not to leave before going over there.

After a few minutes, Emma came back out, the smile and professionalism shining even more than before. Obviously she regretted trying to turn Christine away and something Mr. Ross had said must have made her change her approach.

"Come on inside. I will give you a personal tour."

The first thing Christine saw walking into the house was the beautiful foyer, the clean walls and smooth shining floor were a strange contrast to the children that were running down the stairs, a boy covered in mud, chasing a small girl, trying to cover her in mud too.

Before they could run through what looked like the kitchen, a counselor cut them off. "Stop running. Matthew, stop chasing Sandy and go upstairs and clean up."

Christine watched the young boy sulk his way up the stairs leaving a trail of muddy footprints in his wake.

Instead of commenting on it with a light joke, Emma started them on the tour of the downstairs. She showed them the kitchen, dining room (consisting of ten long tables and benches), the den where most of the entertainment went on, and the front living room. The room that Christine loved the most and the one that she had a feeling was Lyla's favorite as well was the library. Bookshelves were on every wall, each one filled with books, each wall was its own age range, going from nursery rhymes, to non-fiction history books. What she loved most about the room was the grand piano in the corner.

Christine found herself standing right in front of it, caressing the black surface. She softly fingered the white keys, not daring to play a tune, just wanting to feel close to her daughter in some way.

"You really are her mother." Christine turned to look at Emma. Her hand was covering her mouth to hold back the sob that was threatening to come forth.

"Did she play?" she asked. She wanted to know as much about her daughter as she could. Knowing that she could play an instrument would be the best gift.

"I only ever saw her play it once and from what I heard, I knew she was meant to be a musician. We have a counselor here that knows how to play many instruments and when we got a piano she decided she would play for the children. At first she would only play once in a while, but after she saw the connection Lyla had with the instrument she started to play for her every day."

"Who is this woman? May I speak with her?" Christine asked, any connection to her daughter was what she needed. This woman obviously knew her better than anyone.

"She is actually out on maternity leave. She won't be back for another month."

Christine turned back to the piano and softly pressed down on the first key she touched, resulting in a deep hum. She closed her eyes, breathing in the music she heard in her mind, a sense of doubt stuck in the forefront of her mind. _'Will I ever find her?'_

Meg's hand rested on her shoulder, trying to comfort her in any way she could. "Come on, Chris. Want to go see her room?"

Meg always knew what could break Christine from her downward spiral and with a nod she turned and followed Emma out of the room.

Going up the flight of stairs, now cleared of all mud, Christine could see that this house is much larger than it looks from the outside. There were so many children running around outside and playing inside that Christine could only imagine how many rooms there were. From the top of the stairs the hall showed ten doors, all leading to different bedrooms.

"Do all these doors lead to bedrooms for the children?" Meg asked, surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of children that must live here.

Mostly, there is a bedroom for each counselor on either side in case a child cries in their sleep or needs comfort. Then there is one bathroom in the middle."

"How did my daughter runaway without waking the counselor?" Christine's voice dripped with irritation, her dark thoughts of never finding her daughter had resurfaced, and left her feeling angry and alone.

Emma's face turned white from the tone of Christine's voice and tried to explain calmly. "Gloria was on duty and she told us that she was awake all night. She hadn't slept; she didn't hear any noise outside her door, not even a shadow under the door. She even thinks Lyla must have moved like a phantom through the halls."

'_No wonder she escaped the police so easily.'_ Christine thought. Before Christine could boil over, Meg put her arm around her and held her close, calming the storm that was raging inside.

"Here's her room." The woman said opening the second door down.

Meg released her so she could walk into the room. There were four bunk beds; each bed had the same sheets, blanket and pillow. The only discernable difference between them was the paper name banners that hung over each headboard. When Christine found Lyla's over by the window, she noticed the skill and design that went into it.

Lyla's was definitely made at an older age than the others. Hers was more refined, as if she had just redone hers. Her name was written in a curvy way as if it was blowing in the wind and surrounding her name were small doodles, but as Christine got closer she noticed they weren't just sketches, they were music notes.

"Did you ever see her writing music? Or did she just play?" Christine asked.

"I never saw her writing, unless it was in her journal. But she never let us look in it, not that we wanted to, we knew she needed her privacy. But who knows, maybe she found some music books in the library."

Christine stopped listening after she heard the word _'journal'_. This whole time she was looking for answers from Emma and these surroundings when she wrote all her thoughts down on paper.

"Do you have her journal? I would like to look at it." Hope rising in her voice.

"We haven't been able to find it. She would always return it to her bedroom when she was done writing, but the police have looked for it and the other counselors have been looking for it as well. We believe she must have taken it with her."

Christine's heart sank. Her journal would have been the best thing to have, to find out more about her and to see her plans. It would have answered all her questions. Maybe even brought her closer to where she was.

Another counselor walked into the room and knocked to get their attention. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Warren is here to see you Emma."

"Tell her I will be right down." Emma replied, leaving the other woman to go back downstairs to the awaiting mother-to-be.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been more helpful." Christine knew that was her polite way of saying they couldn't be left alone in the house and would have to leave.

Reluctantly, Christine looked at Lyla's bed one last time, imagining tucking her into the bed she would have had for her all growing up. She touched the banner where her name was written, imagining her working diligently to make it perfect. Taking Meg's offered hand she followed out of the room, leaving a piece of herself behind.

As they walked out of the house and towards the car, Christine turned to look at the meadow. The sun had slowly started to set and the pink and orange of the sky brought a picturesque look to the meadow.

Meg's work phone went off and she excused herself to take the important call. Christine wanted to give her the space and silence for work, so she headed over to the tall grass.

The grass reached to her knees, tickling the skin that her capris didn't cover. Turning her face up to the sun, it still brought heat to her face, but the trees brought a soft breeze making it comforting. She could feel Lyla's presence and when she looked around and didn't see her she knew that it was just a feeling of being in the same place she had been before. It was the perfect place to be alone. To let the music building up inside pour out.

The ache that music brought was multiplied by the ache to have her daughter with her.

She needed her daughter. She needed her like she needed to breathe. Thoughts of her daughter suffocated her and kept her from doing or seeing anything else. She would walk down the street and see a girl with brown hair and think it was her. She would hear music and think it was her playing. She would dream of the bridge and see Erik and Lyla standing there waiting for her. It was heartbreaking.

Christine started to effortlessly stroll through the grass, letting the sun pour down on her. With her face pointing up at the light and view of the sky, Christine hadn't seen the large rock blocking her path until she almost fell over. She looked down at the rock, ready to vent her frustration on it like a crazy person, but stopped when she saw that the rock had revealed something. There looked to be a wooden box the size of a large book sitting in a hole that the rock had hidden. She kneeled down to move the rock farther away so she could see the box more clearly.

Lifting the box out of the ground, she brushed off the excess dirt, to see it had a latch and the word pencils carved into the wood. It was obviously a pencil box, but from the lack of rattling she doubted that was what was in there. Hoping to God she didn't find a dead pet burial she opened the box to find a small book sitting inside.

The cover of the book was leather bound with no title and the edges of the paper were worn and dirty from age and use. There were loose pages hanging out as if someone had made notes and tucked extra paper inside.

Christine opened to the first page to see the dedication page wrote, "This journal belongs to: Lyla Reynolds".

Christine stared at the young handwriting in open-mouthed astonishment. She traced the lettering with careful ease. It looked like it had been written when Lyla first learned how to write her own name, the letters were large, uneven and… beautiful. Her fingers traced the letters with love.

She flipped to the next page to see her first entry was written shortly after that when she got all the letters down and could write simple, easy words.

After a few more entries the handwriting started to get smaller, allowing for more thoughts to go on the page. Christine, without actually reading the words, flipped through every page to see the handwriting got more skilled and more sophisticated as time went on. The journal was thick and every page was filled with words, including the extra pages that hung between them. The last page looked to have been ripped out of the journal and Christine knew it was her last entry, the one she needed most, the one that held her last thoughts before leaving.

Christine looked in the box to see if it had fallen out as she leafed through the pages, but nothing was there. Christine closed the journal and carefully placed it in her purse before putting the box back in the hole and moving the rock back into place. No one needed to know she found her journal.

Christine felt a tap on her shoulder and she whirled around quickly to see a little red headed girl with glasses was standing there with her finger outstretched, from tapping her shoulder, to get Christine's attention.

Christine knew that if a counselor had caught her with Lyla's journal she would confiscate it to give it to the police, but from the look on this little girls face, she knew that wasn't her intentions.

"I'm Grace." The little girl said in her sweet, young voice.

"I'm Christine." She said before standing to wipe the dirt off her jeans.

"I know. You're Lyla's mom." She said.

Christine looked at the girl in surprise. "Are you a friend of Lyla's?"

"I was her only friend." The girl said looking down at her feet with a sad look on her face. She looked back up at Christine's purse where her friends journal now sat, hidden. "Guess you found her journal."

Christine tucked her purse closer to her side. "How do you know who I am?" Christine asked; she hadn't seen this girl following her or eavesdropping.

"You look so much like her. Lyla told me to watch for her parents to come."

The surprise and astonishment Christine was feeling was building more and more. "Lyla told you I would come? How would she know that?"

"She must have just known. She left in the middle of the night, when I woke up she was gone and there was a note under my pillow."

Grace pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, the missing paper from her journal. Grace handed it to Christine.

"She said to give this to you when you came."

Before Christine could ask her anything more, Grace ran back to the house.

Christine unfolded the piece of paper and read:

'_**I'm following the music. Can you hear it?'**_

**xXx**

**What did you think?! Did you like it?! Do you forgive me for the long wait?! Please review and make me smile!**


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